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3.1.  17 


LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Division  Jj...^.  I  ^    i  -J 
Section      ,  O..K.^  G>  *| 


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WILL   BE  READY  SHORTLY. 


WHO  IS  HE?  An  appeal  to  those  who  regard 
with  any  doubt  the  name  of  Jesus.  By  Sarah  F. 
Smiley. 

One  Volume,  i6mo,  Cloth. 

ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH  &  CO., 

Qoo  Broadway,  Cor.  20th  St.,  N.  Y. 
Sent  by  mail,  postage  paid,  on  receipt  oftJie  puhlisTied  price. 


FULNESS  OF  BLESSING; 

OR, 

THE    GOSPEL    OF    CHRIST, 

AS  ILLUSTRATED   FROM 

THE    BOOK    OF    JOSHUA. 


BY 

SARAH    F.  ^SMILEY. 


^I  REJOICE  AT  THY  WORD,  AS  ONE  THAT  FINDETH  GREAT  SPOIL."— PSALM   CXIX. 


NEW  YORK: 
ANSON  D.  F.  RANDOLPH  &  COMPANY. 

900  BROADWAY,   COR.    20th   STREET. 


Copyright.  1876,  by 
Ansok  D.  F.  Randowh  &  Company. 


ROBERT     RUTTER.  EDWARD  0.  JENKINS. 

BINOER^  ,         PRINTER   AND   STEREOTYPER, 

,4    .ItlMAN     ITMIT.   N.    T.  '  »«   «""   ^"■'■'*"   "-   *'  »' 


TO    MY    FRIENDS. 

To  all  those,  beloved  in  Christ  Jesus,  to  whom  in 
widely  scattered  places,  it  has  been  the  joy  of  my  life 
to  unfold  the  treasures  of  the  Word,  and  to  all  others 
who  make  it  their  delight  and  meditation,  I  present 
this  volume. 

I  have  written  it  as  ever  looking  out  upon  a  multi- 
tude who  earnestly  desire  a  deeper  knowledge  of  their 
Lord,  and  as  one  pressed  in  spirit  to  fulfil  a  sacred 
trust. 

It  is  my  earnest  prayer  that  each  of  you  in  whose 
hands  I  place  it,  may  find  the  Lord  opening  your 
hearts  to  attend  to  His  own  truth,  and  coming  in 
Himself  in  the  fulness  of  His  blessing. 

Most  especially  do  I  pray  that  it  may  bring  some 
message  to  the  many  ministers  of  Christ,  to  whose 
kindness  I  have  owed  so  largely  the  opportunities 
of  also  serving  Him.  If  any  who  are  called  to  teach 
others,  shall  find  here  such  truth  as  may  enlarge  and 
strengthen  their  own  hearts  first,  it  will,  indeed,  be  a 
multiplying  of  my  joy.  While  I  can  not  venture  to 
hope  that  my  secluded  study  will  secure  on  many 
points  the  same  exactness  as  the  training  of  the 
schools,  yet   I   feel  well  assured  that  to  you,  as  to 


iv  TO  MY  FRIENDS. 

myself,  this  will  seem  a  light  thing  compared  to  any 
portion  of  that  Anointing,  which  teacheth  all  things 
and  is  truth  and  is  no  lie. 

And  now  I  would  solemnly  dedicate  these  pages  to 
Him,  who  even  in  their  writing  has  so  richly  blessed 
my  own  soul ;  entreating  Him  to  defend  them  from 
any  misapprehension  that  might  mar  their  service,  or 
harm  His  flock,  and  to  take  them  into  His  own  hatids 
and  bless  them,  as  once  He  did  the  loaves  and  fishes, 
to  the  feeding  of  all  such  as  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righJ:eousness. 

Saratoga  Springs,  October,  1876 


CONTENTS 


Introduction i 

I.— The  Land  of  Promise 20 

11. — The  Failure  of  Unbelief       ....      44 

III.— Change  of  Leadership 66 

IV. — The  Boundary  Line  .        .        .        .       .        .81 

V. — The  Triple  Preparation loc 

VI. — The  Ark  of  the  Covenant     .       .       .       .126 

VII. — Memorial  Stones 143 

VIII. — The  Reproach  of  Egypt 158 

IX. — The  Passover  IN  Canaan  .        .       .       .       .    175 
X.— The  New  Corn  and  Fruit  of  the  Land     .    200 

XL — Seeing  the  Captain 220 

XII. — The  Good  Fight  of  Faith       ....    240 

XIIL— Failure  and  Mistake 266 

XIV. — Choice  Possessions 286 

XV. — The  Last  Charge  of  Joshua  .        .       .       .313 
Passages  of  Scripture,  quoted  with  varia- 
tions FROM  our  present  VERSION  .  .     329 

Index 331 


THE 

Fulness  of  Blessing. 


INTRODUCTION. 

"THE  HOLY  GHOST  THIS  SIGNIFYING." — {Hebrews  ix.  8.) 

MUSICIANS  tell  us  that  the  quality  of  the  voice 
in  song  depends  upon  its  overtones ;  that  is,  the 
accordant  notes  which  are  heard  sounding  faintly 
above  the  fundamental  tones.  It  is  the  same  pecul- 
iarity which  gives  the  silvery  ring  to  some  voices  in 
speech.  And  so  as  we  listen  to  the  voices  of  the 
Law  and  of  the  Prophets,  we  find  a  wondrous,  and, 
to  some,  a  mysterious  charm.  But  the  ear  that  has 
been  trained  by  the  same  master-skill  that  taught 
their  lips,  solves  the  secret  of  the  spell,  and  catches 
with  delight  through  the  deep  thunder  utterances  the 
glad  over-tones  of  the  coming  Gospel.  They  could 
not  rise  so  high  as  to  utter  its  loftiest  truth  ;  but 
they  reached  on  to  this,  and  tJiis^  the  Spirit,  speak- 
ing through  them,  signified.  Alas  !  that  for  so  many 
it  was  signified  in  vain — for  the  dull  of  mind  became 
sluggish  of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets 
have  spoken. 

It    is   a   somewhat    astonishing    folly   that    stands 
charged  to  the  saints,  that  so  many  who  have  essayed 


2  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

to  expound  the  Word  of  God,  have,  in  the  very  out- 
set, and,  as  a  matter  of  principle,  flung  away  that  key 
which  can  alone  unlock  its  most  intricate  wards.  The 
sequel  has  been  too  often,  that  they  fell  into  the  same 
ditch  of  ignorance  with  the  confessedly  blind  whom 
they  professed  to  lead.  Until  a  period  comparatively 
recent,  and  not  yet  fully  inaugurated,  the  majority 
of  English  and  American  expositors  have  ignored 
the  typical  teaching  of  the  Old  Testament,  some  of 
them  even  denouncing  all  such  interpretations  not 
fully  sanctioned  by  the  later  Scriptures.*  With  all 
that  erudition  to  which  we  owe  so  much,  they  yet 
have  missed  a  treasure  which   God,  even  in  hiding, 


*  For  a  list  of  authors  adopting  this  view,  see  Fairbaira  on  the 
Typology  of  Scripture,  pp.  37,  39.  He  quotes  the  following  from 
Moses  Stuart :  "  Just  so  much  of  the  Old  Testament  is  to  be 
accounted  typical  as  the  New  Testament  affirms  to  be  so,  and  no 
more"  He  adds  this  comment  upon  such  a  system  :  "  It  drops 
a  golden  principle  for  the  sake  of  avoiding  a  few  lawless  aberra- 
tions  And  in  proportion  as  a  more  profound  and  spiritual 

acquaintance  with  the  Divine  Word  is  cultivated,  will  the  feeling 
of  dissatisfaction  grow  in  respect  to  a  style  of  interpretation  that 
so  miserably  dwarfs  and  cripples  the  relation  that  the  prepara- 
tory bears  to  the  ultimate  in  God's  revelations." 

Dean  Alford  deals  more  summarily  with  the  system  :  "  Of 
course  no  one  who  reads,  marks,  learns,  and  inwardly  digests  the 
Scriptures,  can  subscribe  to  the  shallow  and  ignorant  dictum  of 
Macknight.  '  This  is  to  be  laid  down  as  a  fixed  rule,  that  no 
ancient  history  is  to  be  considered  allegorical  but  that  which 
inspired  persons  have  interpreted  allegorically.' "  —  The  Greek 
Testament,  by  Henry  Alford^  D.D.  Fourth  Ed.  VoL  III., 
p.  48. 


INTR  OD  UC  TION.  j 

brought   often    to   the  surface,  that   the   eager   and 
earnest  might  track  its  deeper  veins. 

Along  with  some  happy  exceptions  to  this  state- 
ment, there  have  been  others  who  erred  by  an 
opposite  extreme.  Among  the  latter  may  be  num- 
bered not  a  few  of  the  early  Christian  writers.  These' 
first  explorers  of  the  rich  mines  brought  up  such  a 
mixture  of  metals  as  was  beyond  their  skill  to  assay, 
and  so  mingled  fact  and  fancy  as  to  cast  discredit 
upon  their  work.  And  yet,  along  with  every  great 
revival  of  Evangelical  Truth,  these  mines  have  been 
re-opened,  if  only  for  random  research. 

Meanwhile,  all  along  these  centuries,  a  mass  of  sim- 
ple Christian  believers,  escaping  the  dicta  of  the  wise 
and  prudent,  have  been  steadily  and  instinctively 
applying  this  typical  teaching  to  their  own  needs. 
At  least  the  babes,  who  were  never  sent  to  school, 
have  kept  this  knowledge  which  their  Father  gave 
them;*  and  as  the  most  childlike  simplicity  is  always 


*  *'  The  real  secret  of  the  neglect  of  the  types,  I  can  not  but 
think,  may,  in  part,  be  traced  to  this — that  they  require  more 
spiritual  intelligence  than  many  Christians  can  bring  to  them. 
To  apprehend  them,  requires  a  certain  measure  of  spiritual 
capacity  and  habitual  exercise  in  the  things  of  God,  which  all  do 
not  possess  for  want  of  abiding  fellowship  with  Jesus.  The  mere 
superficial  glance  upon  the  Word  in  these  parts,  brings  no  cor- 
responding idea  to  the  mind  of  the  reader.  The*  types  are,  in- 
deed, pictures,  but  to  understand  the  pictures  it  is  necessary  we 
should  know  something  of  the  reality.  The  most  perfect  repre- 
sentation of  a  steam-engine  to  a  South  Sea  savage,  would  be 
wholly  and  hopelessly  unintelligible  to  him    simply  because  the 


4  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

close  of  kin  to  the  most  profound  wisdom,  we  see  at 
last  the  highest  scholarship,  and  especially  German 
scholarship,  on  the  side  of  these  little  onos.  The 
prominence  given  of  late  both  to  unfulfilled  proph- 
ecy and  unexplained  type,  is  only  the  due  honor- 
ing of  the  claim  that  "  all  Scripture  is  given  by  in- 
spiration of  God,  and  is  profitable."  That  God  has 
chosen  to  teach  us  in  such  a  way — by  patterns,  types, 
and  symbols,  among  all  His  divers  manners,  is  enough 
of  itself  to  justify  its  wisdom.  It  is  the  skill  of  the 
master,  who  has  a  further  aim  than  to  make  all  things 
as  easy  as  possible  to  the  learner.  He  has  given 
us  Holy  Scripture,  not  to  read  merely,  but  to 
search. 

Such  teaching  is  analogous  to  another  which  began 
with  Creation,  when  God  let  His  invisible  things  be 
clearly  seen  and  understood  by  the  things  which  He 
made,  giving  to  the  world,  even  in  the  Primer  of 
Nature,  such  lessons  as  left  it  without  excuse  if  it 
knew  Him  not.  And  having  filled  one  volume  with 
the  living  letters  by  which  men  should  spell  out  the 
words  of  Truth,  it  was  but  fitting  that  human  life,  as 
wrought  out  in  History,  should  be  another  for  still 
higher  study :  that  laws  and  customs,  arts  and  events, 

reality,  the  outline  of  which  was  presented  to  him,  was  some- 
thing hitherto -unknown.  But  let  the  same  drawing"  be  shown  to 
those  who  have  seen  the  reality,  such  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
explaining  the  representation.  And  the  greater  the  acquaintance 
with  the  reality,  the  greater  will  be  the  ability  to  explain  the  pic- 
ture."—7>5^  Law  of  the  Offerings,  by  Andrew  Jukes ^  p.  6. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

as  arranged  by  God,  should  all  be  a  revelation  of 
Himself.  And  such  the  Scriptures  assert  them  to 
be.* 

"Which  things  are  an  allegory/'f  is  the  simple 
statement  of  St.  Paul  respecting  the  two  sons  of 
Abraham,  the  one  by  a  bond-woman,  the  other  by  a 


*  Rev.  Hugh  Macmillan  ("  The  Garden  and  the  City  ")  speaks 
of  "  that  subtle  organization  of  Scripture,  which  must  strike  every 
exegete,  and  which,  like  the  organization  of  nature,  presents  from 
every  new  point  of  view  new  harmonies  of  form  and  detail."  Again, 
speaking  of  the  resemblances  of  Scripture  and  the  manifold  com- 
binations resulting  :  "  The  whole  typology  of  Scripture  is  founded 
upon  this  law  of  mutual  resemblance.  The  study  of  Scripture 
derives  from  it  much  of  its  charm  and  interest,  for  each  special 
aspect  of  Divine  truth  can  be  perfectly  combined  with  every  other. 
Nay,  more,  the  whole  scheme  of  nature,  the  whole  history  of  life 

is  based  upon  the  law  in  question All  things,  according  to 

the  poet,  by  a  law  divine,  mingle  in  one  another's  being.  And 
if  the  discovery  of  profound  resemblances  of  form  and  analogies 
of  structure,  where  others  see  only  wide  divergencies  and  palpa- 
ble contrasts,  be  to  the  naturalist  one  of  the  purest  of  his  pleas- 
ures, inasmuch  as  it  brings  him  into  contact  with  the  Great  Mind 
of  the  universe  in  whose  image  he  was  made  ;  so  over  the  soul 
of  the  Bible  student  there  creeps  a  feeling  of  increasing  joy  and 
wonder  at  the  fulness  and  subtlety  of  the  connection  by  which 
each  part  of  the  Scriptures  is  bound  to  all  the  others — for  this  is 
the  highest  proof  of  its  inspiration  and  of  its  fitness  for  gathering 
together  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth  into  One,  even  in  Him 
who  is  the  Truth  and  the  Life,  the  Beginning  and  the  End." — 
See  Introduction,  p.  xxxix.-xlvi. 

t  Gal.  iv.  24.  "The  lesson  to  be  drawn  from  this  w^hole  pas- 
sage, as  regards  the  Christian  use  of  the  Old  Testament,  is  of  an 
importance  which  can  scarcely  be  oYQXX2X^A."—Conybeare  and 
Howsons  Life  and  Epistles  of  St.  Paul. 


5  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

free-woman — although  in  the  history  itself  not  a  hint 
of  the  kind  is  given.  Again,  concerning  a  variety  of 
events,  he  twice  asserts  that  "  these  things  happened 
unto  them  for  types'''^  He  does  not  even  treat 
them  as  events  first  occurring,  and  then  found  after- 
ward to  convey  a  useful  lesson,  but  he  boldly  traces 
an  "  intent  "  of  God  in  permitting  them  so  to  hap- 
pen, and  then  preserving  their  record  for  the  lesson's 
sake.f  Yet  this  is  the  very  point  upon  which  we  find 
such  peculiar  sensitiveness.  Use,  it  is  said,  if  it  so 
please  you,  these  historical  incidents,  and  apply  them 
as  illustrations  of  truth.  But  do  not  call  them  types. 
Think  your  own  profitable  thoughts,  but  do  not  sug- 
gest that  God  had  any  such  thoughts.     Are  we,  then, 


*  Gf.  I  Cor.  X.  6;     i  Cor.  x.  ii. 

t  "  Every  moment  it  becomes  a  more  serious  question  whether 
this  language  [of  Hebrew  ideas  and  imagery]  is  to  be  allowed 
for  as  inaccurate  in  itself,  but  under  the  circumstances  of  the 
case  inevitable,  or  whether  it  is  to  be  insisted  on  as  the  method 
prepared  i7i  the  purpose  of  God  for  the  most  adequate  expres- 
sion of  spiritual  truth.  The  question  was,  indeed,*  decided  by 
the  two  facts,  that  the  Old  Covenant  itself  was  a  Divine  ordi- 
nance, and  that  its  historical  relations  with  the  New  Covenant 
were  a  Divine  provision.  Still,  it  was  of  high  importance  to  the 
clearness  and  fixedness  of  the  doctrine,  that  this  connection  be- 
tween the  two  covenants  should  be  deliberately  shown  to  con- 
sist not  in  rhetorical  illustration,  but  in  a  divinely-intended 
system  of  analogies.     This  is  the  permanent  office  of  the  Epistle  to 

the  Hebrews It  expressly  recognizes  the  fact  that  "  the  word 

of  the  beginning  of  Christ  "  had  been  enlarged  by  intervening 
teaching  into  a  "  perfection,"  which  many  of  those  who  are  here 
addressed   had   sinfully  and   shamefully  failed  to  receive;  the 


INTRODUCTION.  y 

really  more  quick -sighted  and  far-sighted  than  the 
Spirit,  who  "  searcheth  all  things,  yea,  the  deep  things 
of  God  ?  "  Whatever  of  truth  we  see  in  any  of  these 
words  of  Inspiration  we  may  be  sure  that  He  placed 
there,  in  order  that  we  might  see  it. 

Again,  when  it  is  said  that  "  these  things  were 
types,"  they  seem  selected  as  examples  and  not  as 
exceptions.  Indeed,  in  the  constant  use  of  the  Old 
Testament  by  our  Lord  and  His  Apostles,  regarding 
its  spirit  rather  than  its  letter — what  it  implies  more 
than  what  it  asserts,  determining  the  nature  of  events 
more  by  their  seed  than  by  leaf  or  flower — we  find 
the  law  of  their  true  interpretation  to  be  not  literal- 
ness,  but  liberty.*  And  taking  this  ground  them- 
selves as  highest  authorities,  they  do  not  forbid  us  to 


teachers  sent  from  God  having  wrought  out  for  them  full  ex- 
positions of  truth,  to  which  their  old  prepossessions  had  closed 
their  hearts.  And  it  exhibits  the  further  fact  that  this  perfecting 
of  the  truth  by  the  fullest  definite  interpretation  of  the  principles 
of  the  Gospel,  had  been  accomplished  by*  means  of  the  true 
reading  of  the  Old  Testament  in  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ." — Progress  of  Doctrine  in  the  New  Testament — B  amp- 
ton  Lectures^  by  Thomas 'Dehany  Bernard,  p.  170. 

*"  The  existence  of  an  abiding  spiritual  sense  underlying  the 
literal  text  of  the  Old  Testament,  is  sufficiently  attested  by  the 
quotations  in  the  New.  Unless  it  be  recognized,  many  of  the 
interpretations  of  the  Evangelists  and  Apostles  must  appear  forced 
and  arbitrary  ;  but  if  we  assume  that  it  exists,  their  usage  appears 
to  furnish  an  adequate  clew  to  the  investigation  of  its  most  in- 
tricate mazes."—  WestcotVs  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the 
Gospels^  p.  63. 


8  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

follow  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  seems  everywhere  sug- 
gested that  we  should  trace  out  these  clews.  ''  Have 
ye  not  read?"  was  the  usual  query  of  Jesus  in  draw- 
ing profound  inferences  from  the  simplest  statements. 
His  words  imply,  ''  Have  ye  not  read  it  thus?  Ye 
also  should  have  seen  its  meaning  as  I  do.  How  is 
it  that  ye  do  not  understand  ?" 

The  Types  of  the  Bible  lie  like  so  many  island 
groups  in  the  wide  sea  of  Truth.  The  mainland  of 
each,  with  many  another  isle,  has  been  put  upon  our 
chart  by  the  pen  of  inspiration.  But  all  the  little 
islets  that  lie  clustering  around  are  for  us  to  explore. 
Nor  have  we  to  launch  out  into  a  far-off  ocean.  Our 
simple  task  is  but  to  reach  them  from  the  shores  dis- 
covered for  us.  The  remotest  of  them  shall  hardly 
take  us  out  of  sight  of  land.  Nor  are  we  sent  out 
adrift  upon  such  new  discoveries.  As  true  as  the 
needle  to  the  pole-star,  though  that  star  be  hidden, 
so  does  the  Spirit  ever  point  to  Christ,  even  when 
we  see  Him  not.  And  greater  than  that  gift  of  the 
magnet  to  the  voyager,  was  the  promise  to  the  souls 
of  all  that  seek  after  God,  ''  He-  will  guide  you  into 
the  whole  truth."*  All  Scripture  presupposes  the 
light  by  which  alone  it  can  be  truly  read.     Surely,  it 


*  In  this,  as  in  all  other  quotations  from  Holy  Scripture  in 
this  volume,  wherever  our  present  version  at  all  obscures  the 
meaning,  free  use  has  been  made  of  others,  as  well  as  of  the 
original.  Except  in  a  few  instances,  it  has  not  seemed  needful  to 
credit  the  special  authority  or  to  indicate  the  change. 


INTRODUCTION.  g 

was  not  for  a  brief  moment  only  that  Jesus  opened  the 
understanding  to  '^  understand  the  Scriptures."  There 
would  seem  to  be  a  misapprehension  of  the  very 
genius  of  Christianity  among  those  who  profess  such 
alarm,  lest  venturing  beyond  that  interpretation  of  • 
Scripture  given  in  itself,  we  should  go  utterly  astray. 
There  .are  and  must  needs  be  perils  in  all  liberty. 
But  they  who,  from  unhallowed  fear,  forego  the  lib- 
erty, only  fall  into  worse  perils. 

God,  who  gave  us  His  Holy  Spirit,  has  provided 
still  further  against  danger  in  His  promised  gift  of  ''  a 
sound  mind."  Again,  we  have  a  safeguard  in  that 
important  authority  established  in  the  Scriptures — 
the  consenting  judgment  of  the  Church.  Making  all 
due  allowance  for  the  Church  in  her  aphelion,  and 
the  dim  sight  of  many  in  her  brightest  hours,  yet 
that  which  fails  finally  to  commend  itself  to  the  chil- 
dren of  God  whose  lives  are  richest  in  experience, 
must  be  delusive.^^ 


*  We  are  forced  to  recognize  the  extent  to  which  the  judg-- 
ment  of  the  Church  is  responsible,  from  what  we  know  of  the 
collection  of  the  Canon.  In  an  extremely  suggestive  volume  by 
the  late  Frederick  Myers,  his  thoughts  upon  the  latter  subject 
will  also  apply  to  the  one  before  us.  I  copy  from  the  edition 
printed  for  private  circulation  only,  though  the  work  has  since 
been  published  :  "  No  event  has  exercised  greater  influence  on 
the  character  of  the  Church  of  Christ  than  the  existence  of 
the  Christian  Scriptures,  and  yet  no  event  was  less  apparently 
miraculous  as  contra-distinguished  from  providential.  It  was,  it 
must  be  repeated,  a  result  of  the  exercise  of  that  enlightened 
and  sanctified  spiritual  judgment  which  is  the  special  continuous 
I* 


JO  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

But,  it  is  objected,  such  license  would  flood  us  with 
a  vast  variety  of  interpretations,  in  itself  a  plain 
proof  of  error.  This  shallow  argument  is  met  by 
the  Scriptures  themselves.  In  the  free  use  of  this 
great  store  of  types,  the  same  figure  does  service  in 
more  than  one  direction  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  Tem- 
ple finds  one  fulfilment  in  Christ,  another  in  the 
Church,  and  yet  is  fearlessly  applied  to  the  very  body 
of  an  individual  believer.*  In  fact,  it  appears  to  be 
a  prominent  feature  of  this  whole  plan  of  typical 
teaching,  not  to  give  us  framed  pictures,  but  a  series 
of  dissolving  views. 

.  Especially  does  St.  Paul,  in  his  use  of  the  types  and 
symbols  of  the  Old  Testament,  talce  delight  in  turn- 
ing them  round  and  round,  like  so  many  bright  frag- 
ments in  a  kaleidoscope.  He  breaks  up  suddenly  a 
perfectly  harmonious  arrangement  to  give  us  a  new 
combination,  and  so  on  with  variations  that  seem 
simply  inexhaustible.     How  can  we  but  draw  the  in- 


endowment  of  all  ages  of  the  Church  ;  which,  if  duly  honorecU 
would  be  found  equal  to  great  tasks  always,  and  which,  if  unduly 
dishonored,  will  be  found  to  leave  us  in  difficulties  which  will  be 
also  dangers.  This  case  of  the  Christian  Canon  is  a  case  in 
point.  For,  if  none  but  a  literal  line  and  measure  of  Canonicity 
will  be  accepted,  in  this  case  there  is  none  forthcoming  ;  if  Chris- 
tian tact  and  discerning  of  spirit  be  despised,  there  is  nothing 
which  remains  in  their  stead." — Catholic  Thoughts  mi  the  Bible 
a?id  Theology,  1 841-1848,  p.  52. 


*  Dr.  Farrar,  in  his  Life  of  Christ,  speaks  of  this  "  many-sided 
symbolism  "  of  some  of  the  acts  of  Jesus.     See  Vol.  II.,  p.  216. 


INTRODUCTION. 


II 


ference  that  so  our  interpretation  gives  us  a  harmo- 
nious picture  in  full  accord  with  Truth  as  otherwise 
revealed,  we  have  in  it  a  right  lesson,  though  very 
possibly  not  the  richest. 

No  one  eye  can  ever,  by  itself,  see  all  that  God  has 
thus  taught  us.  No  more  can  any  one  sect,  nation, 
or  age.  There  is  needed  for  this  the  grand  universal- 
ity of  the  One  Church,  and  the  unity  of  the  One  Spirit. 
Only,  with  all  the  samts^  shall  we  be  able  to  compre- 
hend the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height. 
In  the  great  Body  of  the  Church  it  is  with  our  vision 
as  with  the  eyes  of  so  many  insects.  The  organ  is 
composite,  and  the  many  thousands  of  little  eyes  are 
grouped  upon  a  convex  surface  ;  and  while  the  range 
of  each  is  thus  more  limited  than  is  the  human  eye, 
the  jfield  of  vision,  as  a  whole,  is  greatly  widened. 
Nor  is  there  really  any  lack  to  each,  since  equally 
with  ours  the  vision  is  a  unit.  It  is  easy  to  accept 
the  limitations  of  our  own  individual  insight  of  Truth, 
as  we  find  our  gain  in  the  widest  sympathy  with  oth- 
ers. Each  of  us  set  to  gather  into  a  perfect  focus 
some  one  aspect  of  Truth,  we  are  bound  to  impart 
this,  while  we  receive  in  return  all  the  other  aspects. 
To  have  the  vision  complete  —  to  sweep  over  the 
whole  range  of  revelation,  we  need  the  eyes  of  all 
the  ages,  of  all  nationalities,  of  all  true  creeds,  of  all 
temperaments — the  eyes  of  youth  and  of  age,  the 
eyes  of  the  unlettered  and  the  learned.  There  is 
good  ground  to  hope  that  in  the  Christianizing  of 


12  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Oriental  nations,  one  of  our  greatest  gains  will  result 
from  their  clearer  insight  into  symbolic  teaching. 

There  is  a  still  larger  class  of  objectors  who  are 
ready  to  admit  the  value  of  typical  teaching  in  a 
general  way,  but  who  feel  the  strongest  repugnance 
to  its  interpretation  in  detail.  For  instance,  they 
regard  the  Jewish  sacrifices  on  the  whole,  as  pointing 
to  Christ.  But  the  attempt  to  find  significance  in 
the  minute  arrangements  of  that  ritual,  they  regard 
as  simply  contemptible.  Does  it  ever  enter  into 
their  thoughts  that  they  are  in  danger  of  despising, 
not  man,  but  God?  If  it  be  puerile  to  seek  a 
meaning  in  them,  why  were  they  written  by  Inspira- 
tion, and  why  was  so  large  a  space  assigned  them  ? 
Yet  it  does  not  seem  to  us  unworthy  of  the  scientist 
to  sit  patiently  before  the  tiniest  thing  in  nature,  and 
with  his  microscope,  examine  the  most  exquisite  and! 
skilful  touches  of  the  finger  of  God.  He  is  perfectly 
sure  that  everything  has  a  meaning,  and  he  toils  on 
to  its  discovery.*     And  is,  then,  God's  Word  so  infe- 


*  As  an  instance  of  this,  see  a  strong  statement  of  Darwin  as 
quoted  by  the  Duke  of  Argyle  in  his  "  Reign  of  Law."  It  is 
taken  from  a  work  entitled  "  The  various  contrivances  by  which 
British  and  foreign  Orchids  are  fertilized  by  Insects."  By  Chas. 
Darwin,  F.R.S.  London,  1862.  "The  strange  position  of  the 
Labelium  perched  on  the  summit  of  the  column,  ought  to  have 
shown  me  that  here  was  the  place  for  experiment.  /  ought  to 
have  scorned  the  notion  that  the  Labellwn  was  thus  placed  for 
no  good  purpose.  I  neglected  this  plain  guide,  and,  for  a  long 
time,  completely  failed  to  understand  the  flower,''  p.  262. 


INTRODUCTION. 


13 


rior  to  His  other  works,  that,  like  man's  work,  it 
can  not  bear  this  close  inspection  ?  Such,  surely,  is 
not  the  relative  position  which  is  claimed  for  it  in 
the  Word  itself.  Nor  need  we  make  an  abatement 
from  this  claim  from  the  fact  that  it  is  not,  like  nature, 
purely  the  work  of  God,  but  in  part  the  work  of  man  ; 
since  at  least  to  the  full  extent  of  human  imperfec- 
tion, both  in  its  origin  and  transmission,  are  human 
research  and  enlightened  Christian  judgment  allowed 
to  enter  now. 

But,  again,  the  general  objection  to  such  interpreta- 
tion falls  with  double  force  upon  the  histories  of  the 
Old  Testament.  Yet  these,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
are  so  interpreted  in  the  New  Testament.  And  one 
may  well  ask  what  such  readers  find  in  these  portions 
that  is  spiritually  ^'profitable.''  Nor  can  we  be  sur- 
prised at  their  frequent  though  half-reluctant  admis- 
sion of  dullness,  and  a  corresponding  slight  put  upon 
this  part  of  the  Bible.  Nor  does  the  evil  end  here. 
As  histories  only,  many  of  these  events  seem  so  un- 
important, so  repugnant  even  to  our  tastes,  that  it  is 
no  rare  thing  to  find  the  germs  of  doubt  and  scepti- 
cism springing  freely  up  in  such  waste  and  untilled 
soil. 

No  better  instance  of  this  can  be  selected  than  the 
Book  of  Joshua,  which  will  be  used  as  the  historical 
basis  for  the  teaching  attempted  in  this  volume.  It 
is  almost  purely  historical ;  and,  to  some,  simply  a 
book  of  bloody  battles  and  a  geographical  description 


14  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

of  the  divisions  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  with  here  and 
there  a  few  lessons  of  faith,  and  courage,  and  kindred 
virtues.  And  if  this,  indeed,  be  all,  then  it  may  as 
well  be  openly  said,  as  so  often  secretly  thought, 
ministering  far  less  to  our  spiritual  needs  than  many 
an  uninspired  volume  of  Christian  devotion.  There 
is  no  refuge  fr 0711  the  scepticism  that  assails  the  Scrip- 
tures  save  in  their  more  spiritual  study. 

But  approaching  this  same  Book  of  Joshua  with 
faith  in  that  clear  statement,  ''  Now  these  things  hap- 
pened unto  them  for  types,"  and  reading  it  as  a  his- 
tory indeed,  but,  at  the  same  time,  so  anticipating 
the  history  of  our  own  hearts  as  to  be  an  allegory — ■ 
we  see  now  before  us  a  Picture,  the  grandest  in  its 
proportions — the  most  life-like  in  its  groupings — the 
most  striking  in  its  wealth  of  coloring — and  the  most 
skilful  in  its  quiet  touches,  of  any  that  God  has  given 
us  in  this  Royal  Art  Gallery  of  Truth.  There  is  sig- 
nificance even  in  the  very  place  where  the  Picture  is 
hung.  We  have  gone  through  the  Pentateuch — we 
are  well  out  of  this  shadowy  vestibule  of  the  Law, 
and  at  once  the  advancing  eye  is  met  by  this  grand 
representation  of  the  Gospel.  In  this  Book  we  find 
that  the  failure  is  over,  and  the  victory  begins.  An- 
ticipation becomes  realization. 

Moreover,  it  is  that  Book  in  our  Bible  which,  more 
than  any  other,  presents  and  powerfully  illustrates 
that  range  of  truth  which,  as  by  a  subtle  consent,  is 
attracting  the  eyes  of  all  Christendom ;  which  has 


IN  TROD  UCTION.  I  e 

taken  to  itself  many  names — as  many  as  its  mountain 
peaks  —  but  which,  as  a  whole,  is  covered  by  one 
matchless  expression  of  St.  Paul,  ''  The  fulness  of  the 
blessing  of  [the  Gospel  of]  Christ."  * 

It  is,  indeed,  in  the  awakening  of  the  Church  to 
the  clearer  recognition  of  this  blessing,  that  the  key 
is  recovered  to  the  right  interpretation  of  the  Book 
of  Joshua.  To  those  who  have  seen  Heaven,  but  no 
intervening  Hcavenlies — a  rest  that  remaineth,  but  no 
rest  which  the  believer  now  enters — it  was  perfectly 
natural  that  Canaan  should  signify  Heaven,  and  Jor- 
dan be  simply  the  river  of  death.  If  this  were  true, 
there  would  be  little  else  to  be  said.  There  could  be 
no  consistent  typical  meaning  in  the  warfare  which 
followed.  Besides,  such  an  application  could  make 
nothing  of  the  command  to  enter  the  land,  the  failure 
to  do  so,  and  the  consequent  anger  of  God.  In  fact, 
it  passes  by  entirely  the  very  points  which  are  so 
clearly  interpreted  for  us  in  the  New  Testament. 

One  of  the  ablest  of  modern  writers  upon  this  sub- 
ject, f  after  a  masterly  review  of  the  Exodus,  upon 
reaching  the  wilderness  wanderings,  thus  disposes  of 
them*:  "  The  inevitable  falling  off  of  the  common 
hours  and  experiences,  from  the  level  of  the  mo- 
ments when  our  life  gets  up  into  the  world  which 
was  made  to  be  its  home,  seems  to  me  to  be  the 


* '.'  The  Gospel  of"  is  omitted  in  the  best  MSS. 

t  James  Baldw'.n  Brown,  "  The  Soul's  Exodus  and  Pilgrimage.' 


1 6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

great  teaching  of  this  passage  of  Israel's  history.' 
Happily  a  higher  authority  has  given  us  a  different 
teaching.  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  we  read, 
"  So  we  see  that  they  could  not  enter  in  "  (not  because 
it  was  inevitable,  but)  "  because  of  their  unbelief  ^  To 
carry  on  such  an  interpretation  into  the  Book  of 
Joshua,  were  to  lose,  almost  entirely,  the  warnings, 
the  encouragements,  and  the  manifold  lessons  which 
fill  its  pages.  Of  course,  too  little  is  left  to  make 
it  an  attractive  field  ;  so  that,  in  fact,  it  is  repre- 
sented by  little  more  than  a  few  fragmentary  volumes 
in  English  Exegesis.* 

*  In  one  of  these  few  works,  it  is  only  upon  the  last  page  of  its 
Appendix  that  we  find  how  far  the  author  has  seen  beyond  the 
limits  to  which  he  restricted  his  comments. 

*'  Nor  can  we  ignore  the  lessons  which  come  to  us  through  a 
symbolism  which  we  are  taught  by  the  Apostle  Paul  and  the 
author  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  We  see,  not  as  a  poetic 
imagination,  but  as  a  heavenly  instruction,  the  entrance  into  Ca- 
naan symbolizing  the  believer's  entrance  into  rest,  not  the  rest 
of  heaven,  but  the  rest  which,  even  here,  he  has  in  Jesus  Christ. 
We  see  that  in  this  rest  he  may  be  disturbed  by  his  own  lack  oi 
faith,  the  results  of  which  failure  will  be  thorns  in  his  side,  and 
that  only  by  a  complete  commitment  of  himself  to  the  will  of 
God  will  his  rest  be  made  perfect.  We  see,  moreover,  how  our 
Joshua  (Jesus)  is  the  sole  guide  to  this  rest,  so  that  as  Jesus  is 
both  priest  and  sacrifice,  both  foundation  and  builder,  so  is  He 
both  the  Rest  and  the  Guide  to  it.  In  the  light  of  the  New 
Testament,  this  Book  of  Joshua  will  prove  full  of  spiritual  com- 
fort and  edification  to  every  seeking  behever.  God  has  placed 
it  in  the  Canon,  not  to  praise  Joshua  or  Israel,  but  to  teach  and 
bless  His  dear  people  to  the  end  of  time." — Expository  Notes  on 
the  Book  of  Joshua,  by  Howard  Crosby. 


INTRODUCTION. 


17 


In  these  pages  it  is  by  no  means  a  commentary, 
and  scarcely  an  exposition,  which  is  attempted  ;  bu^ 
rather  the  unfolding  of  that  Truth  which  is  signified 
both  there  and  elsewhere.  The  great  theme  of  vic- 
tory through  faith  which  is  here  opened  has  many 
parts.  The  Divine  Epic  which  begins  in  History, 
reappears  in  the  Psalms  as  Poetry,  in  Isaiah  as  Proph- 
ecy, in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  the  highest  of  all 
Philosophy;  and,  finally,  in  the  Epistles  as  Expe- 
rience. So  that  if  proper  light  is  allowed  to  fall 
upon  our  Picture,  it  must  be  freely  borrowed  from 
the  other  portions  of  Scripture.  The  outline  of  the 
subject  is  so  distinctly  sketched,  however,  in  the  his- 
tory, as  to  require  little  change. 

The  Book  of  Joshua  would  seem  to  be  the  special 
heritage  of  this  generation.  The  mists  that  have, 
hung  so  long  around  the  hills,  are  roUing  off,  and 
many  are  lifting  up  rejoicing  eyes  to  see  how  much 
more  lies  beyond  them  of  Christian  possibility  than 
they  had  thought  to  reach.  Surely  the  day  in  which 
we  live  is  one  of  those  set  times  in  which  God  favors 
Zion.  But  while  He  thus  dispels  the  darkness  an^ 
gives  us  clearer  light,  so  that  things  once  unseen  or 
dimly  seen,  now  shine  as  the  day,  there  may  be,  with 
not  a  few,  a  personal  hindrance  remaining  ; — a  veil  not 
taken  away  in  the  reading  of  the  New  Testament. 
As  the  Israelite's  veil  kept  him  from  seeing  to  the 
end  of  that  which  was  commanded,  so  may  the  Chris- 
tian's v^il  keep  him  from  seeing  to  the  end  of  that 


I8  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

which  is  promised.  No  struggles  of  our  own,  no  pos- 
sible straining  of  our  intellectual  vision,  can  meet  this 
difficulty.  "  Nevertheless  when  it  shall  turn  to  the 
Lord,  the  veil  shall  be  taken  away." 

Meanwhile,  working  in  harmony  with  the  Word  and 
promises  of  God,  there  lies  a  vast  power  in  Christian 
testimony  to  convince  even  veiled  eyes  of  the  privi- 
leges that  await  them.  It  is  not  often  wise  for  such 
a  ^testimony  to  put  its  own  experience  in  the  fore- 
ground;  and  yet  without  such  experience  there  could 
be  no  true  testimony  or  even  right  knowledge.  He 
who  lays  the  scene  of  his  story  in  a  land  of  which 
he  has  only  read  and  heard,  will,  with  all  his  care,  be 
sure  to  betray  his  ignorance.  If  he  has  only  visited 
it,  this  also  will  appear.  Even  as  a  dweller  in  the 
land,  there  may  still  be  local  discrepancies  to  be 
detected. 

She  who  ventures  in  these  pages  to  describe  the 
Land  of  Blessing,  so  far  as  her  feet  have  walked  its 
length  and  breadth,  has  found  it  everywhere  a  good 
and  glorious  land  ;  and  she  can  only  hope  that  what 
her  eyes  have  missed,  or  seen  mistakenly,  will  find 
other  and  wiser  witnesses.  She  gives  this  as  her  sim- 
ple contribution  to  the  comprehension  of  all  saints. 

It  is  her  comfort  to  consider  that  it  is  not  theory 
acutely  thought  out  for  which  the  Church  of  Christ 
is  now  longing,  but  practical  truth,  and  to  know  alike 
from  experience  and  observation  that  there  is  a  Truth 
which,  whether  philosophically  discerned  or  not,  can 


INTRODUCTION.  ig 

yet  assert  its  living  power  in  the  hearts  of  the  hum- 
blest, and  against  all  odds  of  nature.  If  others  shall 
find  in  these  pages  a  joy  in  the  least  proportionate 
to  that  which  she  has  found  in  their  preparation,  it 
will  be  to  her  an  unspeakable  reward. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE     LAND     OF     PROMISE. 

^'  OEHOLD  I  HAVE  SET  THE  LAND   BEFORE   YOU: 
-L'    GO  IN  AND  POSSESS  THE  LAND.  "    {Deut.  i.  8). 

"•  He  brought  us  out  from  thence,  that  he 

MIGHT  bring  us  IN,  TO  GIVE  US  THE  LAND." 
{Deut.  vi.  23). 

Before  taking  up  the  lessons  of  the  Book  of  Joshua, 
we  need  to  review  the  history  which  precedes  it,  so 
far  as  respects  the  promise  made  to  the  IsraeHtes  of 
the  land  of  Canaan,  and  their  failure  to  accept  it. 

The  full  scope  of  their  redemption  was  two-fold 
— out  of  Egypt  and  into  Canaan  ;  but  the  latter  was 
always  the  more  prominent. 

In  the  earhest  promise  made  to  Moses,  we  read, 
"  I  am  come  down  to  deliver  them  out  of  the  hand 
of  the  Egyptians,  and  to  bring  them  up  out  of  that 
land,  into  a  good  land  and  a  large,  unto  a  land  flow- 
ing with  milk  and  honey."*  When  the  first  promise 
had  been  fulfilled,  and  they  sang  their  song  of  deliv- 
erance upon  the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea,  their  faith 
rose  at  once  to  claim  the  second,  as  the  completion 

*  Exodus  iii.  8. 
(20) 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


21 


of  their  triumph  :  "  TJioii  shalt  bring  them  in  and 
plant  them  in  the  mountain  of  their  inheritance,  in 
the  place,  O  Lord,  which  thou  hast  made  for  thee  to 
dwell  in,  in  the  sanctuary,  O  Lord,  which  thy  hands 
have  established."* 

Yet,  closely  as  the  two  events  are  linked  in  promise, 
there  was  an  intermediate  stage  between  them.  Egypt 
did  not  border  upon  Canaan,  and,  therefore,  it  could 
not  be  a  single  experience  to  be  brought  out,  and  to 
be  brought  in.  Furthermore,  the  Lord  did  not  choose 
to  lead  His  people  by  the  shortest  possible  way.  Long 
before  their  unbelief  had  caused  the  forty  years  of 
wandering,  we  see  a  wise  delay  which  is  fully  ex- 
plained. "  And  it  came  to  pass  that  when  Pharaoh 
had  let  the  people  go,  that  God  led  them  not  thro' 
the  vv^ay  of  the  land  of  the  Philistines,  although  that 
was  near,  for  God  said  lest  peradventure  the  people 
repent  when  they  see  war,  and  they  return  to  Egypt ; 
but  God  led  the  people  about  through  the  way  of  the 
wilderness  of  the  Red  Sea."f 

And  again,  the  Red  Sea  crossed,  we  do  not  yet  find 
the  shortest  route  to  Caanan  chosen.  They  were  led 
down  to  the  back  side  of  .tJie_desertj_nesrl^,tQ.  the 
end  of  Arabia,  to  that  mysterious  land jwhere_ God 
has  chosen  to  train  and  discipjine^sp  many ;  where 
Moses  spent  his  forty  years  of  preparation  ;  where 
Elijah  went  on  his  long  journey,  and  whereJPaul  also 


*  Exodus  XV.  17.  t  Exodus  xiii.  17,  18. 


22  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

was  sent  for  his  secret  training.  This  new-born  na- 
tion had  everything  to  learn,  and  Canaan  would  have 
been  wasted  upon  its  ignorance.  So  they  were  led 
down  to  Horeb,  there  to  receive  the  Law  from  Sinai, 
and  there  to  be  trained  as  an  encampment  around  the 
sacred  Tabernacle. 

The  books  of  Exodus  and  Leviticus  give  us  thir- 
teen months  of  such  a  history.  It  is  resumed  in 
Numbers  with  the  preparations  for  an  advance  "  on 
the  first  day  of  the  second  month  of  the  second 
year."*  The  voice  of  God  now  called  them  onward. 
"  Ye  have  dwelt  long  enough  in  this  mount ;  turn 

you   and  take  your  journey Behold,  I  have 

set  the  land  before  you  ;  go  in  and  possess  the  land,"t 
The  length  of  the  journey  before  them  is  stated,  with 
precision,  as  eleven  days  from  Horeb  to^adesh  Bar- 
nea,  the  place  where  they  were  to  enter.fl 

But  now  began  delays  which  God  had  not  ordered. 
They  lusted  for  flesh,  and  for  two  days  they  stopped 
to  gather  quails  ;  and  then  for  a  whole  month  to  dig 
the  graves  of  them  that  lusted.  Again,  Miriam 
speaks  against  Moses  ;  she  is  not  prepared  to  see  the 
low  exalted  in  these  patterns  of  grace,  and  the  alien 
made  as  the  home-born — much  less  to  see  her  own 
brother  stoop  from  the  leadership  of  a  great  nation 
to  place  by  his  side  an  Ethiopian  woman.  There- 
fore she  is  smitten  with  leprosy,  and  the  whole  camp 


*  Numbers  i.  i.  t  Deut.  i.  6-Z.  \  Deut.  i.  2. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


23 


must  wait  seven  days  until  she  can  rejoin  them.  In 
these  and  other  ways  the  journey  was  prolonged  for 
months,  since,  when  they  reached  the  land  it  was  the 
time  of  the  vintage.  But  while  the  delay  was  theirs, 
the  way  itself  was  God's,  as  we  learn  from  the  review 
of  it  which  Moses  gave  : — '*  When  we  departed  from 
Horeb,  we  went  through  all  that  great  and  terrible 
wilderness  ....  as  the  Lord  our  God  commanded 
us  ;  and  we  came  to  Kadesh  Barnea."^ 

Standing  at  last  upon  the  border  of  the  land,  they 
should  have  entered  it  at  once.  Instead  of  this,  we 
find  another  delay  which,  begging  for  only  forty  days, 
was  recompensed  with  forty  years.  In  Numbers  we 
read  that  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses,  directing  him 
to  send  the  spies.f  But  in  Deuteronomy,  we  learn 
that  it  was  only  a  command  accommodated  to  their 
choice,  as  so  carefully  stated  by  Moses  :  "  I  said  unto 
you,  *  Ye  are  come  unto  the  mountain  of  the  Amor- 
ites,  which  the  Lord  our  God  doth  give  unto  us. 
Behold,  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  set  the  land  before 
thee :  go  up  and  possess  it  as  the  Lord  God  of  thy 
fathers  hath  said  unto  thee  ;  fear  not,  neither  b.e  dis- 
couraged/ And  ye  came  near  unto  me  every  one  of 
you,  and  said,  '  We  will  send  men  before  us,  and  they 
shall  search  us  out  the  land  and  bring  us  word  again 
by  what  way  we  must  go  up  and  into  what  cities  we 
shall  come.' ''%     ^^  afterwards,  in  giving  them  a  king, 


*  Deut.  i.  19.  t  Numbers .xiii.  i,  2.  X  Deut.  i.  20-22. 


24  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

God  yielded  to  tJieir  choice  since  they  would  not 
accept  His.  ^ 

The  report  of  the  spies  resulted  in  the  failure  to 
enter  the  land,  and  thus,  for  a  long  season,  their  life 
became  abnormal — outside  of  the  true  plan  of  God, 
though  not  beyond  His  merciful  care.f  Leaving 
this  failure  as  the  subject  of  the  following  chapter, 
and  pausing  at  that  point  when  the  possession  of  the 
land  was  brought  within  their  immediate  reach,  let 
us  seek  the  lesson  here  signified  ;  for  "  all  these  things 
happened  unto  them  for  ensamples." 

The  scope  of  our  redemption  also  is  two-fold — "  God 
hath  saved  us  and  called  us  with  an  holy  calling.":j: 
This  salvation  and  this  calling  are  always  coupled  in 
the  promises  of  God,  and  yet  must  be  wrought  out  at 


*  I  Sam.  viii.  9. 

t "  If  the  Israelites  had  gone  on  to  Canaan  without  inquiry,  their 
confidence  had  possessed  it.  Now  they  send  to  espy  the  land  ; 
six  hundred  thousand  never  lived  to  see  it :  and  yet  I  see  God 
enjoining  it  upon  them  to  send  ;  but  enjoining  it  upon  their  in- 
stance. Some  things  God  allows  in  judgment :  their  importu- 
nity and  distrust  extorted  from  God  this  occasion  of  their  over- 
throw. That  which  the  Lord  moves  unto  prospers  ;  but  that 
which  we  move  Him  to  first  seldom  succeedeth.  What  needed 
they  doubt  of  the  goodness  of  that  land  which  God  told  them  did 
flow  with  milk  and  honey  ?  What  needed  they  doubt  obtaining 
that  which  God  promised  to  give  }  When  we  will  send  forth 
our  senses  to  be  our  scouts  in  the  matters  of  faith,  and  rathei 
dare  trust  men  than  God,  we  are  worthy  to  be  deceived." — 
Bishop  Hall's  Contetnplatfons. 

\  2  Tim.  i.  9. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


25 


separate  stages.  But  as  He  brought  them  out  that 
He  might  bring  them  in,*  so  we  find  the  main  stress 
of  the  Gospel  falHng  upon  this  ultimate  design.  The 
Scriptures  speak  not  so  much  of  what  we  are  saved 
from  as  of  what  we  are  saved  unto  ;  and  even  the 
very  word  salvation  is  sometimes  limited  to  the* 
latter  meaning. 

Such  has  not  been,  however,  the  most  current  teach- 
ing of  the  Church.  Her  efforts  have  been  concen- 
trated far  more  upon  the  conversion  of  sinners  than 
the  nurture  of  the  saints.  We  have  had,  consequently, 
more  fishers  of  men  than  shepherds  who  could  feed 
the  flock,  and  justification  has.  been  more  frequently 
and  fully  presented  than  sanctification.f     We  have 


*  Deut.  vi.  23. 

t  Dr.  Crawford,  in  his  able  work  on  the  "Atonement,"  thus 
writes :  "  The  mediatorial  work  and  sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ 
were  intended,  not  only  to  obtain  for  us  redemption  from  the 
guilt  and  penal  consequences  of  sin,  but  also  to  secure  our  per- 
sonal sanctification. 

"  This  is  a  truth  which  has  too  frequently  been  overlooked. 
In  speaking  or  thinking  of  the  salvation  which  Christ  has  pur- 
chased, there  ai^e  many  who  seem  to  attach  to  it  no  further  idea 
than  that  of  mere  deliverance  from  condemnation.  They  forget 
that  deliverance  from  sin — the  cause  of  condemnation — is  a  no 
less  important  blessing  comprehended  in  it 

"  Nay,  it  v/ould  seem  as  if  the  former  of  these  deliverances  — 
that  is  to  say,  our  deliverance  from  sin  itself — were  represented 
in  some  passages  of  Scriptures  as  the  grand  and  ultimate  con- 
summation of  redeeming  grace,  to  which  the  latter,  though  in 
itself  inestimably  precious  and  important,  is  preparatory.  Wit- 
ness these  plain  and  forcible  declarations :  '  He  died  for  all,  that 
2 


26  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

reversed  the  proportions  which  are  so  apparent  in 
the  Epistles.  St.  Paul  does  not  tell  us  so  much  of 
his  anxiety  to  reach  the  hardened,  as  he  does  of  his 
desire  'to  present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Respecting  that,  he  tells  us,  "  Whereunto  I  also  labor, 
striving  according  to  His  working  which  worketh  in 
me  mightily."*  He  does  not  speak  of  the  prayers 
of  Epaphras  for  those  without,  but"  he  writes  of  his 
fervent  prayers  for  those  within,  that  they  "  might 
stand  perfect  and  complete  in  all  the  will  of  God."  f 
The  five  prayers  of  his  own,  which  are  given  at  some 

they  who  live,  should  not  he7tceforth  Irve  unto  themselves,  but 
tmto  Him  who  died  for  the?n  and  rose  again?  '  Christ  loved 
the  Church  and  gave  Himself  for  it,  that  He  anight  sanctify  ana 
cleanse  it  v^ith  the  washing  of  water  by  the  Word,  and  that  He 
might  present  it  to  Himself  a  glorious  Church,  not  having  spot 
or  wrinkle,  or  any  such  thing ;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and 
without  blej7iish'  '  You  that  were  sometimes  alienated  and 
enemies  in  your  mind  by  wicked  works,  yet  now  hath  He  recon- 
ciled in  the  body  of  His  flesh  through  death,  to  present  you  holy, 
and  unblamable,  and  unreprovable  in  His  sight.'  'He  gave 
Himself  for  us,  that  He  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
purify  unto  Himself  a  peculiar  people  zealous  of  good  works.' 
'The  blood  of  Jesus,  who  through  the  eternal  Spirit  offered  Him- 
self without  spot  unto  God,  shall  purge  your  conscience  from 
dead  works,  to  serve  the  living  God  J  'Who  His  ownself  bore 
our  sins  in  His  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we  being  dead  to  sins, 
might  live  unto  righteousness.'  These  statements  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  our  redemption  from  the  guilt  and  penal  consequences 
of  sin,  was  intended  to  be  the  means 'to  an  ulterior  end — that 
end  being  our  personal  sanctification." — The  Doctrine  of  Holy 
Scripture  respecting  the  Atonetnent,  pp.  194,  195. 

*  Col.  i.  28,  29.  t  Col.  iv.  12. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


27 


length,  all  have  a  common  burden — that  the  Church 
may  see  and  receive  the  fulness  of  Christ.  So,  also, 
in  the  list  of  special  gifts,  he  dwells  in  detail  only 
upon  those  which  have  these  objects — ''  the  perfecting 
of  the  saints  ;  the  work  of  the  ministry ;  the  edifying 
of  the  body  of  Christ."  * 

As  we  turn  to  the  words  of  Christ,  we  find  in  that 
one  most  precious  prayer  of  His  which  is  left  us, 
that  He  says  expressly,  *'  I  pray  not  for  the  world, 
but  for  them  which  thou  hast  given  Me  ;"f  and  what 
a  prayer! — that  they  might  have  all  His  joy,  His  love. 
His  glory ! 

It  is  not — God  forbid  the  thought ! — that  the  Scrip- 
tures slight  the  salvation  of  any  soul.  But  as  it  would 
have  been  little  to  the  glory  of  God  to  have  merely 
brought  the  people  out  of  Egypt  without  giving 
them  a  home,  so  are  we  shown  that  Christ  is  only 
fully  glorified  in  the  glory  of  His  Church.  The  House- 
hold of  Faith  is  regarded  as  a  family  in  which  the 
responsibilities  are  not  ended  by  the  birth  of  the  chil- 
.dren.  That  any  of  them  should  remain  unfed,  sickly, 
dwarfed,  is  not  for  a  moment  to  be  allowed.  Their 
nurture  and  full  development  is  the  one  great  object 
of  the  true  Father. 

Again,  we  find  a  wrong  impression  prevalent  as  to 
what  this  Sanctification  signifies.  There  are  many 
who  strongly  urge  its  claims,  but  see  in   it  only  a 


*  Eph.  iv.  12.  t  John  xvii.  9. 


28  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

further  deliverance,  as  it  is  so  often  expressed,  from 
the  power  as  well  as  from  the  guilt  of  sin. 

But  Sanctification  is  not  so  much  a  removal  as  an 
impartation.  That  which  Christ  takes  from '  us  is  as 
nothing  to  that  which  He  gives  us ;  and  it  is  this 
positive,  rather  than  the  negative,  side  of  the  truth, 
which  the  Scriptures  everywhere  present,  and  which 
is  most  clearly  set  forth  in  this  type  of  the  call  to 
Canaan.  It  was  a  bestowment,  an  inheritance,  a  fore- 
shadowing of  all  those  spiritual  blessings  with  which 
God  has  blessed  us  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Few  Christians  are  without  a  vague  sense  of  some- 
thing good  that  is  set  before  them.  But  there  is 
immense  gain  in  its  clearer  comprehension.  Let  us, 
therefore,  look  more  definitely  at  that  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  has  signified  in  this  instance. 

The  entering  of  the  Land  of  Promise  is  spoken  of 
frequently  as  entering  into  Rest,  Settlement  was  to 
take  the  place  of  constant  change.  It  was  to  be  a 
Home,  which  the  desert  could  not  be  ;  for,  apart  from 
its  failure  to  supply  their  needs,  everything  was  tran- 
sient, and  it  was  useless  to  plant  or  build  in  a  land 
through  which  they  were  only  journeying.  And  the 
contrast  was  made  stronger  from  the  fact  that  they 
were  spared  the  weary  waiting  of  preparation.  God 
set_before  them,  in  His  j)romise,  a  Home  where  all 
was  ready  for  their  coming,—"  Great  and  goodly  cities, 
which  thou  buildest  not,  and  houses  full  of  all  good 
things  \vhich  thou  filledst  not,  and  wells  digged  which 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE.  2Q 

t.^oy-<^iggedst  not,  vineyards  and  olive-trees  which 
thou  plantedst  not . ' '* 

And  in  such  rest  as  this  might  every  one  of  those 
families  of  Israel  have  been  found  speedily ;  and  not 
only  in  Rest,  but  in  the  satisfying  Bounty  which  it 
implied.  What  a  contrast  was  that  which  awaited 
them,  from  the  old  life  of  Egypt.  Weary  hands  that 
made  the  bricks,  tired  feet  that  watered  the  dry  land, 
now  at  rest  with  only  healthy  toil,  and  the  poor 
slaves  lifted  up  from  the  very  dung-hill  to  sit  like 
princes  in  their  pleasant  homes  among  the  hills  and 
valleys — their  hunger  satisfied  with  better  things  than 
the  coarse  food  of  Egypt — with  better  things  than 
manna  even — with  corn  and  oil,  and  honey  and  wine, 
and  all  else  that  could  strengthen,  and  enrich,  and 
sweeten,  and  cheer  their  life. 

It  was  true  that  enemies  filled  the  Land,  and  that 
warfare  also  awaited  them.  But  had  not  God  prom- 
ised to  deal  with  these  seven  nations  even  as  He  dealt 
with  Pharaoh,  and  would  He  not  do  it  ?  So,  then, 
it  was  not  so  much  warfare  as  Victory  of  which  God 
spoke.  Therefore  no  fear,  no  discouragement  was  to 
dampen  their  ardent  hopes  as  they  passed  on  theii 
way  to  Rest,  and  Wealth,  and  TriumpJu 

And  to  Rest,  and  unsearchable  Riches,  and  a  great 

Victory,  are  we  also  called,  finding  them  all  in  the 

Lord   Jesus.     He  is   Himself  the   anti-type  of  that 

good  land  and  large.   Our  calling  is,  to  be  "  in  Christ:' 

*  Deut.  vi.  lo.  II. 


30  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

The  first  and  deepest  need  of  our  being  is  rest.  St. 
Augustine  among  all  his  sayings,  has  none  sweeter 
or  stronger  than  this,  *'  Thou  hast  made  us  for  Thy- 
self, and  our  heart  is  restless  till  it  rests  in  Thee."  * 

But  there  is  a  saying  that  surpasses  this ;  it  is  the 
call  of  Christ  to  all  the  children  of  men,  soft  and 
soothing  as  a  mother's  lullaby,  "  Come  unto  Me,  and 
/will  rest  you."  It  is  rest  first,  and  after  that  all  else 
that  He  holds  for  us. 

Nor  is  it  rest  as  opposed  only  to  the  toil  of  sin,  but 
also  the  unrest  of  Christian  activity.  Our  Rest  should 
be  like  our  Sabbath,  a  beginning  of  the  days.  Under 
the  Law,  as  still  under  all  Legality,  the  order  w:as, 
work  at  the  first,  and  day  after  day  until  the  seventh, 
when  the  labor  shall  end  in  rest.  But  when  Christ 
rose  from  the  dead,  that  first  day  of  the  Aveek  became 
the  hallowed  one,  consecrated  to  rest,  and  life,  and 
jpy^  And  from  that  living,  joyful  rest  in  Him,  the 
whole  being  energized  and  fitted  for  its  task,  the  soul 
can  go  on  to  serve  Him  to  the  end.  It  has  found  rest 
because  it  has  ceased  from  working  in  its  own  strength, 
ceased  from  its  own  will,  and  now  God  worketh  in  it 
to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure.  Practically, 
it  makes  the  widest  j)ossible  difference  whether  we 
work  up  /<?  rest  or  fro7n  it. 


*  Fecisti  nos  ad  te,  et  inquietum  est  cor  nostrum  donee  requies- 

cat  in  te Quies  est  apud  te  valde  et  vita  imperturbabilis. 

Qui  intrat  in  te,  intrat  in  gandium  Domini  Sui ;  et  non  timebit, 
et  habebit  se  optima  in  optimo. — Confess.,  Lib.  1. 1,  and  II,  i8. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


31 


When  this  rest  has  preceded  our  work,  it  will  also 
permeate  it,  and  will  render  it  calm,  undistracted,  un- 
oppressive.  It  has  been  said,  ''  Faith  rests  while  it 
works.  This  is  a  peculiarity  of  the  true  Gospel.  No 
false  religion  could  teach  it.  Many  professed  disciples 
of  Christ  Himself — men  to  whom  the  name  of  religi- 
ous persons  can  not  be  denied — never  learn  it.  True 
faith  rests  habitually,  rests  in  working.  It  is  a  para- 
dox ;  but  a  paradox  full  of  truth,  full  of  beauty,  full 
of  admonition.*'  * 

This  rest  can  be  ours  in  no  other  way  than  as  a  gift 
from  Christ.  Such  deep  repose  of  soul  is  neither  found 
in  man,  nor  can  be  evolved  out  of  any  of  his  powers. 
Only  as  the  strong  and  loving  arms  of  Jesus  are  folded 
around  it,  shall  the  tired  and  tossed  soul  be  rested. 

Is  the  heart  burdened  still  at  times  with  the  weight 
of  old  sins  ?  Are  there  seasons  when  "  the  spirit  of 
fret  and  fuss  "  disorder  it  ?  Is  it  strained  with  anxie- 
ties? Is  its  work  ever  a  weariness?  Above  all,  has 
ft  wandered  like  a  wayward  child  into  forbidden  paths, 
and  found  no  shelter?  Such  a  soul  needs  not  that 
any  should  tell  it  that  it  has  not  yet  come  to  the 
rest  which  God  has  promised — that,  more  or  less,  it 
is  falling  short  of  it.  How  far  short,  we  can  tell  best 
by  looking  at  the  Divine  copy  of  it — Jesus  Himself. 

In  studying  that  life  in  its  human  aspects,  we  do 
not  behold  the  favorite  of  Fortune,  nor  the  creature 
of  circumstances.    The  rest  of  Jesus  was  conditioned 

*  Voices  of  the  Prophets,  C.  J.Vaughan,  D.D.,  p.  8i. 


32 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


by  nothing  outward.  But  we  trace  a  silent  power 
that  ruled  His  whole  being,  the  poise  of  a  human 
spirit  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  will  of  God— ever 
going  forth  to  meet  that  will,  and  never  waiting  to 
be  overtaken  by  it.  Calm  in  His  most  crowded  work, 
calm  in  every  peril,  calm  in  His  utmost  suffering  and 
agony,  never  for  a  moment  excited,  unbalanced, 
fevered  or  fretted  —  this  is  He  who  still  calls,  '■^Come 
unto  Me,  and  I  will  rest  you."  How  much  is  signi- 
fied in  that  promise  we  can  not  know,  except  as  Chris- 
tian expectation  passes  into  experience. 

But  rest  is  not  the  only  hope  of  our  calling.  We 
are  promised  the  supply  of  all  our  need  ;  not  only  of 
such  wants  as  we  now  feel,  but  of  those  also  which 
shall  be  first  awakened  by  the  sight  of  unbounded 
treasure.  Certainly  if  anything  is  clear  in  the  Word 
of  God  it  is  this  bounty.  The  "  Unsearchable  Riches 
of  Christ"  is  a  cognomen  of  the  Gospel.  All  riches 
of  the  full  assurance  of  understanding,  all  that  can 
nourish  and  adorn,  encompass  with  comforts  and 
develop  this  new  spiritual  life,  all  possible  wealth 
of  grace  and  love,  —  all  these  spiritual  blessings  are 
given  us  '■''in  the  heavenlies''  in  Christ  Jesus.  Nor  is 
the  least  portion  of  this  wealth  the  privilege  of  shar- 
ing it  with  others,  and  of  making  it  even  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive — by  such  a  law  excluding  all 
possible  satiety,  and  providing  ever-enlarged  powers 
of  enjoyment.  In  brief,  the  promise  runs,  "  All  things 
are  yours;"  and  the  eager  soul,  escaping  from  the 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE.  ^3 

poverty  of  its  bondage,  looks  on  confidently  to  a  day 
nigh  at  hand  when  it  shall  have  no  want  unsatisfied. 

But  with  these  promises  of  Rest  and  Riches  there  is 
linked  a  third  —  of  Victory.  At  first  the  soul  has 
little  thought  of  enemies,  save  such  as  it  has  already 
known.  Pharaoh  and  the  hosts  of  Egypt,  from  these 
it  fied  ;  from  the  despotism  of  Satan  and  the  low 
bondage  of  this  world.  God,  ordinarily,  shields  the 
newly-converted  soul  from  the  sight  of  struggles  be- 
yond, leading  it  about  by  other  easier  ways,  and  let- 
ting its  thought  be  concentrated,  for  a  time,  on  the 
great  facts  of  forgiveness  and  deliverance.  Its  first 
fears  come  from  the  pursuing  foes  ;  but  so  signal  is 
the  overthrow  of  these,  that  even  the  certainty  of 
seven  mightier  nations  before  it  can  bring  no  terror. 
To  Faith,  the  future  is  as  sure  as  the  past,  and  the 
whole  process  of  victory  appears  like  one  continuous 
work  of  God.  Like  Israel  upon  the  seashore,  even 
while  we  are  singing  to  the  Lord  who  hath  tri- 
umphed gloriously,  we  go  on  to  celebrate  the  whole. 
"  The  people  shall  hear  and  be  afraid  :  sorrow  shall 
take  hold  on  the  inhabitants  of  Palestina  —  all  the 
inhabitants  of  Canaan  shall  melt  away."*  That  God 
should  save  us  from  the  hands  of  one  enemy  to  let 
us  fall  into  the  hands  of  another,  is  simply  incon- 
ceivable to  a  child-like  faith. 

The  completeness  of  this  victory  has  been  described 
for  us  in  one  of  the  holy  songs  that  heralded  the 
*  Exodus  XV.  14,  15. 

2^' 


34  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

coming  of  Christ,  when  Zacharias  tells  us  that  God 
would  grant  us — "  that  we  being  delivered  out  of  the 
hand  of  our  enemies,  might  serve  Him  without  fear, 
in  holiness  and  righteousness  before  Him  all  the  days 
of  our  life."*^  And  this  he  calls,  first,  God's  promise, 
and  then.  His  covenant,  and,  finally,  His  oath,f  so 
giving  us  three  immutable  securities. 

The  nature  of  these  enemies  and  the  secret  of  this 
victory,  will  need  to  be  considered  in  another  connec- 
tion ;  but,  meanwhile,  this  may  be  assumed  as  the 
proper  position  in  which  the  Gospel  places  us. — "Now 
thanks  be  unto  God  who  always  causeth  us  to  triumph 
in  Christ." 

Such  is  the  Land  of  Promise  set  before  us.  It  is, 
indeed,  the  fulness  of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  Probably  no  Christian  ever  entered  at  once 
upon  such  an  inheritance.  Apart  from  the  gracious 
shielding  from  our  foes,  already  alluded  to,  there  are 
still  other  reasons  why  the  Lord  for  awhile  should 
lead  us  about.  Some  one  has  said  that  it  takes  God 
much  longer  to  prepare  us  for  a  blessing,  than  it  does 
to  give  it  when  we  are  ready  to  receive  it.  It  is  in 
perfect  harmony  with  the  processes  of  all  lower  life, 
that  our  spiritual  life  should  have  a  space  allowed 
for  development  and  training.  When  Jesus  had  com- 
passion on  the  shepherdless  multitude,  all  that  even 
He  could  do  for  them  was  to  begin  to  teach  them 
many  things.     And  He  had  taught  His  own  disciples 

*  Luke  i.  74,  T^.  f  Luke  i.  72,  73. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


35 


for  years  when  He  said,  ""  I  have  yet  many  things 
to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  can  not  bear  them  now." 

As  they  stood  around  Sinai  to  receive  the  Law,  so 
do  we  need  to  gather  around  Jesus  as  He  sits  upon 
another  mountain,  making  that  old  Law  new,  and 
giving  us,  not  the  curse,  but  the  blessing.  All  knowl- 
edge requires  time  for  its  acquisition  ;  but  Christian 
knowledge  demands  it  still  more,  since  it  is  valueless 
until  it  becomes  experimental. 

Again,  there  are  certain  steps  which  we  must  take 
before  any  marked  advance  can  be  made.  The  les- 
sons in  the  first  chapter  of  Numbers  are  full  of  mean- 
ing to  us.  The  people  were  required  to  declare  their 
pedigree,*  and  to  be  enrolled  under  their  proper  stand- 
ards.     Before  we   attempt   to  reach  this  fulness  of 

*  "  Can  I  declare  my  pedigree  ?  It  is  greatly  to  be  feared  there 
are  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  professing  Christians  who  are 
wholly  incompetent  to  do  so.  They  can  not  say  with  clearness 
and  decision,  '  Now  are  we  the  sons  of  God  '  (i  John  iii.  2). 
*  Ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus.  And  if 
ye  are  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed  and  heirs  according  to 
the  promise  '  (Gal.  iii.  26-29).  *  For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  they  are  the  sons  of  God.'  '  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  wit- 
ness with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  sons  of  God '  (Rom.  viii. 
14.  16). 

"This  is  the  Christian's  'pedigree,'  and  it  is  his  privilege  to 
be  able  to  '  declare  '  it.  He  is  born  from  above — born  again — 
born  of  water  and  the  spirit ;  /.  <?.,  by  the  word  and  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  (compare,  diligently,  John  iii.  $  ;  James  i.  18  ;  i  Peter  i, 
23  ;  Eph.  V.  26).  The  believer  traces  his  pedigree  directly  up  ta 
a  risen  Christ  in  glory.  This  is  Christian  genealogy." — Notes  on 
the  Book  of  Nu7nbers,  by  C.  H.  M.,  pp.  8,  9. 


36  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

blessing,  our  sonship  must  become  an  established  fact 
— the  Spirit  of  God  bearing  witness  with  our  spirit 
that  we  are  the  children  of  God  ;  and  as  distinctly 
must  we  have  accepted  the  warfare  and  the  service  to 
which  He  calls  us.  None  can  be  counted  in  that  army 
till  he  can  say,  "  Whose  I  am  and  whom  I  serve." 

The  importance  of  this  can  not  be  too  strongly 
stated,  so  large  is  the  proportion  of  those  who  are  in 
doubt,  at  times,  as  to  their  being  really  the  children 
of  God. 

But,  again,  how  true  to  the  history  of  Israel  are 
the  hindrances  which  we  ourselves  occasion  — true 
even  to  their  very  character.  It  is  still  by  demand- 
ing the  visible  in  the  place  of  the  Invisible,  that  wei 
begin  to  fall  from  our  faith.  And  then  it  is  by  the 
lust  of  other  things  entering  in — the  revival  of  some 
old  desire.  And  yet  again  bx  presuming  to  speal{ 
against  those  whom  God  has  set  over  us. 

But  none  of  these  begin  to  compare,  in  their  con- 
sequences, with  that  sin  of  unbelief  by  which  the 
Land  was  forfeited.  And  that  sin,  as  we  see  in  the 
type,  began  by  what  might  be  termed  experiTnenting 
upon  God's  word- — looking  at  the  human  chances  for 
His  promise  holding  good.  They  overlooked  the 
fact  made  so  clear  in  this  promise,  that  the  redemp- 
tion and  the  inheritance  were  equally  God's  work  and 
gift.  ''  They  soon  forgot  His  word  ;"  and  at  the  root 
of  this  forgetfulness •  lay  that  self-sufficiency  which 
was  finally  to  issue  in  despair.     Sach  has  ever  been 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


17 


the  working  of  the  human  heart ;  and  because  of  this 
tendency  such  care  is  taken  in  the  presentation  of 
the  Gospel  to  convince  us  that,  as  forgiveness  is  not 
of  the  Law,  no  more  is  our  righteousness,  but  equally 
with  that  a  gift,  and  by  grace. 

Sanctification  is  by  faith  as  truly  and  fully  as  is 
justification.  The  voice  that  lifted  Luther  from  his 
weary  climbing  of  the  stair-way,  saying,  "  The  just 
shall  live  by  faith,"  was  a  voice  calling  to  all  Christen- 
dom through  him.  And  it  needs  that  same  voice  of 
God  to  rouse  the  weary  climbers  up  their  arduous 
way,  and  to  make  the  bowed  spirits  of  thousands 
exultant  with  hope.  Yet  it  needs  no  new  message  ; 
for  of  the  life  more  abundantly,  as  well  as  of  the 
least  that  can  be  called  life,  is  it  true  that  "  the  just 
shall  live  by  faith."  "  Through  faith  that  is  in  Me," 
was  the  sole  condition  announced  by  the  Lord  Jesus, 
as  covering  not  only  "  forgiveness  of  sins,"  but  an  "  in- 
heritance among  them  which  are  sanctified."  * 

This  Land  of  Promise  to  which  we  are  thus  so 
clearly  called  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ^this  fulness 
of  blessing — is  it,  or  is  it  not,  the  prevalent  experience 
of  Christians  ?  Have  they  so  believed,  that  while 
looking  on  to  the  glorious  appearing  of  Christ  as  the 
completion  of  their  hope,  and  the  final  triumph,  they 
have  in  the  meantime  entered  into  tJiis  rest  ? 

And  if  in  answer  to  this  a  charge  must  be  brought 
against  not  a  few  of  the  children  of  God,  let  it  be 
*  Acts  xxvi.  1 8. 


38 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


done  in  the  charity  that  hopeth  all  things,  and  that 
seeks  only  to  help  those  whom  an  enemy  hath  hin- 
dered. 

A  leading  divine  in  the  Church  of  England  has 
said  plainly,  what  is,  doubtless,  quite  as  applicable  to 
our  own  land  as  to  his,  "The  impression  has  been 
that  people  knew  everything  about  Christian  duty, 
and  have  no  need  to  be  enlightened  on  that  head. 
And  if  by  Christian  duty  be  meant  simply  the  moral 
law  of  God,  in  its  outward,  literal  aspect,  perhaps  the 
impression  is,  more  or  less,  correct,  at  least  as  regards 
the  educated  classes.  But  if  by  Christian  duty  be 
meant  sanctity  of  life  and  character,  and  a  growing 
conformity  to  the  image  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  we  must 
be  pardoned  for  expressing  our  conviction,  that  our 
best  and  most  respectable  congregations  have  very 
little  insight  into  the  thing  itself,  and  still  less  into 
the  method  of  its  attainment.""^ 

Such  shortcoming  as  is  here  spoken  of,  is  the  less 
likely  to  be  usually  regretted,  as  the  true  standard  is 
so  rarely  presented.  But  seeking  that  standard  in  the 
Scriptures,  turning  fresh  from  its  glowing  presentation 
of  Christ  and  His  fulness,  surely  all  will  admit  that  it 
is  not  merely  an  exception,  but  a  rare  one,  to  see  any 
such  state  of  blessedness  in  actual  life. 

There  are  many  who  believe  in  such  fulness,  and 
dare  not  let  go  their  faith  in  it ;  but  they  are  com- 

*  "Thoughts  on  Personal  Religion,"  by  Edward  Meyrick 
Goulburn,  D.D.,  p.  12. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


39 


pelled  to  confess  that  they  have  not  found  it.  There 
are  many  who  have  seen  it  with  their  eyes,  and 
reached  out  eager  hands  to  it ;  but  they  do  not  hold 
it.  They  strive,  they  wrestle ;  but  it  seems  ever  to 
elude  them.  fTEe  ideal_  does_not  becom_e_th_e  real, 
and  ^^  the  there  is  never  here.''  \ 

Christians  grow  reconciled  to  a  state  which  has 
become  so  common,  and  then  from  concluding  it  to 
be  a  universal  experience,  they  end  by  regarding  it  as 
a  necessity. 

But  such  can  never  be  the  earliest  expectation  of 
a  soul  that  has  heard  for  itself,  and  from  Jesus,  the 
call  to  come  unto  Him.  Every  one  who  has  heard 
that  call,  knew  that  it  was  "  to  glory  and  virtue  ;"  and 
that  as  surely  as  the  land  of  Canaan  was  set  before 
the  Israelites,  while  God  said,  "  Go  up  and  possess 
it,"  so  surely  has  His  Voice  come  to  our  hearts, 
saying,  ''  Go  up  into  the  heavenly  places  in  Christ 
Jesus,  where  I  will  bless  you  with  all  spiritual  bless- 
ings. Go  up  and  possess  the  peace  that  passeth 
understanding,  even  perfect  peace.  Go  up  and  dwell 
in  Christ,  and,  therefore,  dwell  in  love,  a  perfect  love, 
that  casteth  out  all  fear.  Go  up  and  be  filled  with 
all  the  fulness  of  God.  Go  up  and  always  triumph 
in  Christ  Jesus." 

And  now  falling  back  upon  our  allegory,  let  us 
venture,  for  the  sake  of  an  illustration,  to  add  to  it  a 
simple  fable. 


40  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Suli,  an  Egyptian  philosopher,  is  returning  home 
from  a  long  journey,  and  in  crossing  the  desert,  sud- 
denly comes  upon  the  camp  of  the  Israelites.  It  is  a  lit- 
tle over  a  year  since  they  left  his  own  land,  but  he  has 
not  heard  of  it,  and  is  full  of  wonder.  In  no  unfriendly 
spirit  he  enters  the  tent  of  a  man  whom  he  had  once 
known  as  a  slave,  now  a  prince  among  his  people, 
Nahshon,  the  son  of  Amminadab,  the  head  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah.*  He  sits  down  and  listens  with  pro- 
found interest  to  the  account  of  the  plagues  ;  of  the 
last  fearful  night ;  the  sprinkled  blood  and  the  Pass- 
over Lamb ;  the  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea  on  foot, 
and  the  drowning  of  all  their  pursuers.  He  is  told 
also  of  the  discipline  and  training  of  the  people.  The 
giving  of  the  Law  at  Sinai  is  described,  and  the  sig- 
nificance of  their  worship.  Full  of  astonishment,  it 
is  now  his  turn  to  speak. 

"  Marvel  not,  O  Nahshon,  that  thy  servant  is  well- 
nigh  silent  with  astonishment.  No  tale  like  this  hath 
mine  ear  ever  heard.  And  not  the  least  wonderful 
of  all  is  that  which  mine  own  eyes  can  see,  the 
change  in  the  people  themselves.  I  doubt  not  these 
words  of  thine  concerning  any  of  those  great  won- 
ders. And  yet  this  is  the  miracle  to  me  :  When  I 
set  out  from  Egypt  but  two  years  since,  you  were, 
as  thou  thyself  knowest,  a  most  abject  people.  And 
I  find  you  here  a  well-governed  nation  —  an  army 
trained  for  the  battle.  Truly,  O  Nahshon,  thy  people 
*  Num.  i.  7. 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE.  41 

deserve  this  freedom.  But  now  let  me  ask  of  thee 
your  purpose  for  the  future.  You  can  not  surely  live 
always  in  this  desert,  and  I  see  you  are  still  journey- 
ing." 

"  I  have  yet  to  tell  thee  of  this,  O  Suli,"  replies  the 
Prince,  ^'  as  the  chief  thing  of  all.  A  good  land  and 
large  has  been  given  us.  The  land  of  Canaan  was 
promised  to  our  father  Abraham  hundreds  of  years 
since,  and  the  promise  repeated  to  his  heirs  Isaac 
and  Jacob.  And  when  the  Lord  first  spake  of  our 
deliverance  to  Moses,  He  told  him  precisely  how  He 
would  first  bring  us  out  of  Egypt,  and  then  into  Ca- 
naan. Having  performed  the  one,  He  is  now  prepar- 
ing for  the  other ;  and  though  we  have  by  our  way- 
wardness hindered  Him,  yet  we  are  now  upon  the 
very  eve  of  entering  the  Land." 

**  But  art  thou,  O  Nahshon,  sure  of  this  ?  Dost  thou 
not  fear  the  struggle  ?  I  have  myself  passed  through 
the  land,  and  the  tribes  holding  it  are  fierce  and 
strong.  They  are  well-armed,  and  have  walled  cities. 
It  is  true,  the  country  is  exceedingly  fair  and  fertile. 
It  could  not  well  be  better  suited  to  your  wants,  but 
pardon  thy  servant,  O  Nahshon,  if  he  can  but  doubt 
if  you  ever  come  to  possess  it.  What,  then,  if  you 
should  fail  ?  What  other  plan  have  you  to  fall  back 
upon  ?  Is  there  still  any  other  country  where  you 
could  get  a  foothold  T 

"  We  were  never  promised  any  other,  and  as  we 
have  so  long  been  promised  this,  we  can  see  no  possi- 


42 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


ble  reason  why  we  should  not  get  it.  It  is  not  at  all 
more  impossible  than  our  rescue  from  Egypt.  And 
were  it,  O  Suli,  even  tenfold  harder  than  thou  think- 
est,  it  would  matter  naught,  for  our  God  never  makes 
a  promise  which  He  can  not  keep." 

^'  But  still,  in  case  you  should  fail,  which  wouldst 
thou  judge  to  be  wisest — to  go  back  to  Egypt,  or 
attempt  to  live  in  this  desert  ?" 

"  We  shall  never  return  to  Egypt.  Thinkest  thou, 
O  Suli,  that  we  could  at  all  endure  its  bondage  now  ? 
And  as  for  this  desert,  it  is  only  a  place  to  pass 
through.  We  have  learned  from  itsJiardships.both 
self-denial  and  faith  in  God.  But  surely  we  could 
never  become  what  we  are  told  we  shall  be,  with  such 
surroundings.  Besides,  it  would 'be  out  of  all  keep- 
ing with  the  ways  of  our  God.  However,  we  need 
not  consider  such  a  case.  Verily,  O  Suli,  I  do  wrong 
to  even  suppose  it.  As  our  father  Abraham  has  said, 
*  What  God  has  projnised  He  is  able  also  to  perform  /'  " 

**  This,  then,  is  thy  thought,  O  Nahshon,  that  your 
Helper  is  so  mighty  that  there  is  no  need  to  think 
at  all  of  your  own  weakness.  Thy  trust  in  thy  God 
is  sublime  indeed.  But  tell  thy  servant, — are  there 
no  conditions  ?  Is  there  nothing  left  to  yourselves 
to  fulfil,  so  that  a  chance  of  failure  remaineth  after 
all  ?  " 

"Yes,  Suli,  there  are  conditions,  yet  not  of  our 
strength,  but  simply  of  our  faith  in  God.  He  mJght 
delay  His  promise,  or  even  break  it  if  we  failed  to 


THE  LAND  OF  PROMISE. 


43 


trust  Him.  But  how  could  that  ever  happen  ?  We 
have  had  so  many  proofs  of  what  He  is  and  of  what 
He  does,  that  to  begin  now  to  doubt  whether  He 
will  keep  His  word  or  not,  were  to  deny  almost  His 
very  being — a  God  of  Truth  and  a  God  of  all  Power. 
As  I  said  before,  so  say  I  now  again,  O  Suli, 
*  What  God  has  promised  He  is  able  also  to 

PERFORM.'  " 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE    FAILURE    OF    UNBELIEF, 

^^QO   WE    SEE    THAT    THEY    COULD    NOT    ENTER 
^   IN  BECAUSE  OF   UNBELIEF." — [Heb.  iii.  I9.) 

The  men  to  whom  the  searching  of  the  land  was 
entrusted  were  no  ordinary  spies.  Chosen  from  each 
of  the  tribes,  they  were  all  "  heads  of  the  children 
of  Israel  " — "  every  one  a  ruler."  "  So  they  went  up 
and  searched  the  land  ;"*  and  a  search  that  extended 
through  forty  days  must  have  been  a  thorough  one. 
From  north  to  south  they  saw  with  wondering  eyes 
such  bounties  as  they  had  never  seen  before.  They 
passed  on  to  the  shores  of  the  great  sea.  They  be- 
held Lebanon  and  its  cedars.  They  rested  before 
the  peaks  of  Hermon  and  Carmel.  They  followed 
the  bed  of  the  Jordan  from  the  beautiful  lake  where 
it  is  born,  to  that  sea  in  which  it  dies.  They  marked 
the  countless  hills  and  valleys,  and  the  multitude  of 
brooks.  They  saw,  also,  their  enemies,  the  strong- 
holds, and  the  very  giants.  They  went  to  the  graves 
of  their  fathers  at  Hebron,  and  saw  there  in  that  old 
city  the  three  sons  of  Anak,  whose  names  are  so  sin- 
gularly preserved. f 

One  can  but  listen  in  imagination  to  the  talk  of 
*  Num.  xiii.  21.  t  Num.  xiii.  22. 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


45 


these  men  as  they  journey  over  those  hills.  What 
outbursts  of  joy — what  sighs  of  dismay  !  What  rea- 
soning in  their  hearts,  and  what  constant  interchange 
of  hopes  and  fears ! 

And  now  they  have  returned,  and  the  whole  con- 
gregation, with  Moses  and  Aaron  at  their  head,  stand 
around,  ready  to  listen  to  the  travellers.  "  Beautiful 
upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth 
good  tidings  ;"  and  blessed  might  their  feet  have  been 
that  day.  There  is  a  hush  of  expectation  :  "  We 
came  into  the  land  and  surely  it  floweth  with  milk 
and  honey ;"  and  then,  slowly  lifting  that  heavy 
cluster  of  grapes  of  Eshcol  from  the  staff  resting 
upon  the  shoulders  of  two  of  them,  and  upraising 
it  in  the  sight  of  all, —  "  This  is  the  fruit  of  it !  "* 
What  .visions  of  plenty  are  swimming  before  all 
those  straining  eyes !  How  the  little  children  even 
clap  their  hands  for  joy  ! 

But  listen,  the  men  have  not  told  all !  "  Neverthe- 
less the  people  be  strong  that  dwell  in  the  land,  and 
the  cities  are  walled  and  very  great ;  and,  moreover, 
we  saw  the  children  of  Anak  there."  And  now, 
with  a  minuteness  not  given  to  the  other  side  of  the 
picture,  they  go  on  to  describe  their  enemies  :  "  The 
Amalekites  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  south  :  and  the 
Hittites  and  the  Jebusites  and  the  Amorites  dwell  in 
the  mountains  :  and  the  Canaanites  dwell  by  the  sea 
and  by  the  coast  of  Jordan."  f 

♦  Num.  xiii.  27.  t  Num.  xiii.  28,  29. 


46  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

At  once  all  those  eager  faces  are  downcast,  and 
murmurs  and  cries  are  heard.  And  why  should  they 
not  fear  ?  These  men  who  speak  are  their  rulers — 
their  leaders.  If  such  are  terrified,  why  not  they? 
Therefore,  it  seems  a  decisive  voice  —  a  voice  of 
authority.  But  now  Caleb,  who  has  claimed  by  faith 
his  own  possession,  and  knows  better  than  any  what 
foes  they  have  to  meet,  stands  forth  to  still  the  peo- 
ple :  "  Let  us  go  up  at  once  and  possess  it ;  for  we 
are  well  able  to  overcome  it."  *  By  his  side  is 
Joshua,  but  they  are  only  two,  and  the  ten  again 
repeat :  "  We  be  not  able  to  go  up  against  the  peo- 
ple, for  they  are  stronger  than  we."f  And  now  they 
forget  all  else,  and  their  fears  swollen  by  this  tide  of 
popular  feeling,  they  go  on  to  present  the  darkest 
possible  picture,  which,  as  truthful  men,  they  could 
venture  to  give  :  "  The  land  through  which  we  have 
gone  to  search  it,  is  a  land  that  eateth  up  the  inhab- 
itants thereof ;  and  all  the  people  that  we  saw  in  it  are 
men  of  a  great  stature.  And  there  we  saw  the  giants, 
the  sons  of  Anak,  which  come  of  the  giants  :  and  we 
were  in  our  own  sight  as  grasshoppers,  and  so  we 
were  in  their  sight !  "  :j: 

O  Princes  of  Israel !  if  only  as  ye  went  upon  your 
way,  ye  had  bethought  yourselves  to  sing  once  more 
the  song  ye  once  sang  so  well  :  "  All  the  inhab- 
itants of  Canaan  shali  melt  away.  Thy  right  hand, 
O  Lord,  is  glorious  in  power  !  "  §  But  no,  they  for- 
*  Num.  xiii.  y>.      t  Num.  xiii.  31.       X  Num.  xiii.  33.      §  Ex,  xv. 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


47 


got  even  to  make  mention  of  His  name.  They  saw 
only  themselves  and  their  enemies;  and  so  seeing,  it 
was  but  a  slight  hyperbole  to  draw  the  contrast  of 
grasshoppers  and  giants.  They  had  lost  sight  of  the 
Lord.  Had  they  only  lost  sight  of  themselves,  while 
they  looked  to  Him,  how  different  had  been  the  con- 
trast—  no  longer  between  grasshoppers  and  giants, 
but  between  giants  and  God  !  Would  the  feet  of  a 
giant  fall  heavily  upon  the  grasshopper  in  his  path  ? 
Much  more  would  the  strongest  enemy  melt  away 
before  the  advancing  feet  of  the  Lord  strong  and 
mighty !  And  herein  it  was  *'  an  evil  report  "  rather 
than  a  false  one,  that  it  ignored  God — His  promise 
and  His  power. 

All  that  night  throughout  the  vast  camp,  lying 
down  but  the  night  before  to  happy  dreams  of  the 
land  so  close  before  them,  is  heard  the  sound  of 
weeping.*  And  well  may  they  weep,  cince  they 
had  lost  that  buoyant  hope.  The  terror  and  grief 
become  at  last  a  panic.  As,  the  strong  men  look 
upon  their  wives  and  children,  who  give  way  to  still 
more  violent  emotion,  they  ask,  with  indignation, 
"  Are  these  to  be  a  prey  ?  Wherefore  hath  the  Lord 
brought  us  into  this  land  ?  Were  it  not  better  for 
us  to  return  into  Egypt  ?  "  f  And  at  once  the  bold 
decision  is  made  by  which  they  take  themselves  out 
of  God's  hand — "  Let  us  make  a  Captain  and  let  us 
return  into  Egypt.'* 

*  Num.  xiv.  I.  t  Num.  xiv.  3,  4. 


48  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

But  who  shall  be  the  Captain  to  lead  them  back  ? 
Not  Moses,  not  Aaron.  They  are  fallen  flat  upon 
their  faces  before  all  the  people.  Meanwhile,  Joshua 
and  Caleb  make  another  attempt  to  rally  the  host. 
*'  The  land  which  we  passed  through  to  search  it,  is 
an  exceeding  good  land.  If  the  Lord  delight  in  us, 
then  He  will  bring  us  into  this  land  and  give  it  us  ;  a 
land  which  floweth  with  milk  and  honey.  Only  rebel 
not  ye  against  the  Lord,  neither  fear  ye  the  people 
of  the  land  ;  for  they  are  bread  for  us  :  their  defence 
is  departed  from  them,  and  the  Lord  is  with  us  :  fear 
them  not."  *  The  bravest  and  noblest  words  that 
ever  came  to  rally  a  panic-stricken  host !  Yet  they 
only  vex  and  anger  the  people.  And  for  standing 
there  and  saying  no  new  thing,  saying  only  what 
God  had  always  said,  they  well-nigh  met  the  fate  of 
Stephen — "■  All  the  congregation  bade  stone  them 
with  stones."t 

But  another  voice  is  heard.  As  they  look  up,  be- 
fore all  their  eyes,  shining  from  out  the  Tabernacle, 
appears  the  glory  of  the  Lord.  He  speaks  to  Moses  : 
"  How  long  will  this  people  provoke  me  ?  and  how 
long  will  it  be  ere  they  believe  me,  for  all  the  signs 
which  I  have  shewed  among  them  1''  %  In  these  words 
we  see  at  once  their  real  offence,  and  what  sin  of  sins 
it  was  that  stirred  Him  thus.  Even  at  their  last  re- 
bellion it  was  something  deeper  than  their  lust  that 
had  chiefly  grieved   Him  ;    for  "  a  fire  was  kindled 

*  Num.  xiv.  7-9.  t  Num.  xiv.  10.  \  Num.  xiv,  11. 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


49 


against  Jacob,  and  anger  came  up  against  Israel,  be^ 
cause  they  believed  not  in  Godj  and  trusted  not  in  his 
salvation."  *  But  this  word  of  God  which  they  be- 
lieved not  now,  was  a  word  so  often  given,  so  old,  so 
ever  new,  that  not  to  believe  it  was,  indeed,  to  deny 
Him.  What  marvel  that  He  said  to  Moses,  "  I  will, 
disinherit  them !"  The  sublime  pleading  of  Moses 
with  his  God,  that  unworthy  as  the  people  were.  He 
would  yet  regard  His  own  honor  among  the  heathen, 
won  at  last  the  gracious  answer,  "  I  have  pardoned 
according  to  thy  word."f  But  Pardon  more  often 
wisely  includes  chastisement,  than  excludes  it ;  and 
even  because  He  kept  them  as  His  children,  must 
His  hand  be  heavy  upon  them.  Ten  times  the 
men  who  had  seen  His  glory,  and  all  His  signs,  had 
tempted  Him.ij:  Their  trial  was  complete.  They 
could  not  see  the  land. — ''  To-morrow  turn  you  and 
get  you  into  the  wilderness  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea." 
And,  so  saying,  He  did  but  take  thern  at  their  own 
word.  They  would  not  believe  His  Word,  therefore 
their  own  should  come  to  pass — "  As  truly  as  I  live, 
saith  the  Lord,  as  ye  have  spoken  in  my  ears,  so  will 
I  do  to  you  :  Your  carcasses  shall  fall  in  this  wilder- 
ness  Doubtless  ye  shall   not   come  into  the^ 

land  concerning  which,  I  sware  to  make  you  dwell 

therein And  ye   shall   know  my  breach   of 

promise."  § 


*  Ps.  Ixxviii.  19-22.      .  t  Num.  xiv.  20. 

X  Num.  xiv.  22.  §  Num.  xiv.  28-34. 

3 


so 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


Slowly,  but  surely,  the  weary  length  of  forty  yei.rs, 
were  more  than  half  a  million  of  men  to  whom  God 
had  given  a  home  in  Canaan,  to  find  their  graves  in 
the  sand  of  the  desert.  There  was  little  to  break  the 
monotony  of  that  nomad  existence ;  but  one  toil  never 
ceased.  Day  after  day,they  carried  forth  out  of  their 
camp  the  score  or  more  of  corpses  of  soldiers,  who  had 
fallen,  not  in  battle,  but  because  of  their  unbelief. 

A  still  sadder  doom  was  assigned  to  the  ten  spies. 
We  justly  count  among  the  sins  of  darkest  dye  the 
deliberate  slander  of  a  fellow-being.  But  these  men 
had  slandered  God.  Upon  the  face  of  it,  it  was  only 
an  evil  report  against  the  land.  But  in  reality  it  was 
charging  God  both  with  untruthfulness  and  inefii- 
ciency :  and  for  such  a  sin  as  this,  ^'  they  died  by  the 
plague  before  the  Lord.""^ 

Finally,  we  find  that  presumption  takes  the  place 
of  faith.  They  recognize  at  last  their  fearful  mistake, 
but  not  to  humbly  repent  of  it.  Only  their  strong 
and  stubborn  wills  refuse  the  punishment.  Going  up 
against  their  enemies  to  be  smitten  and  discomfited, 
they  have  to  learn  that  not  a  step  is  safe  unless  God 
go  before  them. 

Forty  years  in  the  wilderness  !  For  forty  years 
grieving  the  Lord,  and  chastened  by  Him  !  And  yet 
even  this  is  used  to  show  forth  His  long-suffering  and 
goodness — ^"  Being  fuUof  compassion,"  not  even  then 
did  He  "  stir  up  all  His  wrath." 
*  Num.  xiv.  37. 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


51 


There  is  a  brief  review  of  this  period  in  the  Acts, 
which  forms  a  most  interesting  sequel  to  a  statement 
of  Moses.  The  latter,  in  reviewing  the  period  previ- 
ous to  the  provocation,  says  to  the  people  :  ''  Thou 
hast  seen  how  that  the  Lord  thy  God  bare  thee,  as  a 
man  doth  bear  his  son,  in  all  the  way  that  ye  went 
until  ye  came  unto  this  place."*  The  Apostle  Paul 
takes  the  same  view  of  the  entire  period.  '*  And  about 
the  time  of  forty  years,  even  as  a  nurse  beareth  her 
child,  so  bare  He  them  through  the  wilderness. f" 

So  they  were  still  His  people — fed,  guided,  and 
defended  by  Him  ;  and  possibly  abusing  these  very 
mercies,  in  concluding  that  even  by  these  they  might 
measure  the  lightness  of  their  offence. 

We  might  well  suppose  such  a  lesson  as  this  his- 
tory furnishes  to  be  too  significant  for  the  Scriptures 
to  be  silent  respecting  it.  It  is,  in  fact,  one  of 
the  most  clearly  applied  among  all  these  allegorical 
events.     Unquestionably  it   is   the   key-note    of  the 

*  Deut.  i.  3T. 

t  Acts  xiii.  18.  "The  beauty  of  this  metaphor  has  been  lost 
to  the  authorized  version  on  account  of  the  reading  (trpo-o^- 
opriaev  instead  of  kTpo(})o<p6prjaEv)  adopted  in  the  Textus  Receptus. 
Griesbach,  Scholz,  and  Lachman  restored  the  latter  reading  on 
the  authority  of  the  Uncial  MSS.,  A.  C.  E.  We  regret  to  see 
that  Tischendorf  has  reinstated  the  former  reading  (because  it 
has  a  somewhat  greater  weight  of  MSS.  of  the  Greek  Testament 
in  its  favor)  without  taking  into  account  the  evident  allusion  to 
Deut.  i.  31,  where  Tpo(pQ(popr}caL  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  correct 
reading." — Cony  bear e  and  Howsons  Life  and  Epistles  of  St, 
Paul,  vol.  i.  chap.  vi. 


52 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  and  with  what  distinctness 
is  it  announced  :  — "  With  whom  was  He  grieved  forty 
years  ?  was  it  not  with  them  that  had  sinned,  whose 
carcasses  fell  in  the  wilderness  ?  And  to  whom  sware 
He  that  they  should  not  enter  into  His  rest,  but  to 
them  that  believed  not  ?  So  we  see  that  they  could 
not  enter  in  because  of  unbelief.  Let  us  therefore 
fear,  lest  a  promise  being  left  us  of  entering  into  His 
rest,  any  of  you  should  seem  to  come  short  of  it.  For 
unto  us  was  the  Gospel  preached,  as  wxll  as  unto 
them  ;  but  the  word  preached  did  not  profit  them, 
not  being  mixed  with  faith  in  them  that  heard  it. 
For  we  which  have  believed  do  enter  into  rest.'  * 

Alas  !  that  the  any  for  whom  He  feared  should 
ever  mean  the  ina7iy — that  a  time  should  come  when 
the  majority  of  Christians — the  great  mass  of  them, 
indeed — should  at  least  seem  to  come  short  of  this 
fulness  of  blessing.  We  believe  them  to  be  children 
of  God — for  they  have  known  the  sprinkling  of  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  have  come  out  from  the 
world  into  new  life  in  Christ  Jesus.  They  have  been 
at  Sinai  and  have  listened  to  the  Law,  and  have 
come  up  more  or  less  fully  to  its  moral  standard. 
But  beyond  their  present  experience  lie  half  the 
promises  of  God,  and  by  far  the  more  glorious  half 
yet  unfulfilled.  No  one  could  venture  to  claim  that 
the  rich  gifts  of  God,  even  to  all  spiritual  blessings  in 
heavenly  places  in  Christ,  are  in  the  general  posses- 

*  Heb.  iii.  17 — iv.  3. 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


53 


si  on  of  the  Church.  The  spirituality  of  Christians 
does  not  satisfy  themselves,  even  according  to  their 
own  low  standard. 

There  is  a  class  of  teachers  who  distinguish  very 
widely  between  omx  standing  2x1^  our  state  ;  claiming 
that  however  it  may  be  as  to  the  latter,  any  one  who  is 
in  Christ  at  all  has,  by  reason  of  the  former,  all  these 
blessings.  But  it  is  this  practical  difference,  phrase 
it  as  we  may,  that  is  so  emphasized  in  Holy  Scrip- 
ture. It  was  a  difference  wide  enough  between  prom- 
ise and  possession,  to  Call  forth  God's  utter  displeasure 
of  old.  It  is  a  difference  wide  enough  now,  between 
what  He  has  given  us  in  Christ,  and  what  we  have 
received  in  Him,  to  leave  room  for  holy  fear  of  exceed- 
ing loss.  The  poor  man  may  call  himself  rich  the 
moment  he  hears  of  the  estate  bequeathed  him  ;  but 
it  still  profits  him  nothing  till  he  has  obtained  it ;  a<; 
we  find,  indeed,  the  bequest  itself  declares :  "  Every 
place  that  the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread  upon,  that 
have  I  given  unto  you." 

There  is,  however,  another  distinction  to  be  drawn 
between  the  Travellers  and  the  Wanderers;  between 
the  Travellers  following  Him  who  leadeth  them  about 
even  with  all  their  lingering,  and  who  will  speedily 
bring  them  to  the  Border  of  the  Land ;  and  the  Wan- 
derers turning  back  in  unbelief  and  disobedience  to 
spend  all  their  lives  in  that  wilderness — always  com- 
ing short. 

As  to  the  manner  of  this  failure,  the  analogy  is  very 


54 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


close  between  theirs  and  ours.  It  came  about  then, 
by  their  pausing  to  prove  the  promises  of  God  by 
human  opinion.  When  God  said,  "  Go  up  all  of  you 
and  possess  the  land,"  they  said,  "  Nay,  but  we  will 
let  twelve  of  our  foremost  men  go  up  first,  and  bring 
us  word  about  it,  and  we  will  abide  by  their  judg- 
ment." And  it  is  still, through  leaning  to  the  word  of 
man,  instead  of  listening  singly  to  the  voice  of  God, 
that  we  expose  ourselves  to  further  temptation. 

But  how  justly  responsible  were  they  held,  who  let 
their  own  faithless  fears  turn  back  the  multitude  ! 
Do  the  ministers  of  Christ,  indeed,  understand  what 
it  means  to  be  set  for  the  defence  of  the  Gospel  ? 
Do  they  all  remember  that  only  as  they  are  taught 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  can  they  possibly  teach  spiritual 
truth  ?  Do  not  some  of  them  assume  the  guidance 
of  immortal  souls,  when  with  a  like  lack  of  knowledge 
they  would  never  dream  of  steering  a  ship  upon  the 
seas? 

And  what  is  the  report  which  they  bring  of  our 
Land  of  Promise  ?  As  they  stand  before  the  people, 
do  they  cheer  them  on,  by  telling  them  what  good 
things  are  in  reserve  for  them,  and  how  sure  God  is 
to  give  them  to  all  that  seek  ? 

We  touch  upon  a  most  vital  theme  when  we  ask. 
What  is  the  ministry  of  this  age  ? 

There  is  one  sort  more  prevalent  than  is  suspected, 
in  which  Christ  and  His  doctrines  are  made  subordi- 
nate— often  one  may  hope  unconsciously — to  philoso- 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


55 


phy,  erudition,  and  rhetoric.  The  only  place  which 
is  left  for  the  Gospel, is  that  of  a  prologue,  or  a  perora- 
tion, or  sometimes  even  a  parenthesis.  The  sadness 
of  it  is,  that  such  sermons  are  often  preached  with 
much  acceptance  ;  and  the  sorrow  of  it  is,  they  are 
sometimes  preached  by,  apparently,  earnest  and  sin- 
cere men,  who  are  trammeled  by  training,  or  what 
they  suppose  to  be  the  demands  of  the  age.  They 
are  men  it  may  be  of  many  gifts  ;  but  none  the  less 
is  the  hearer  left  like  the  poor  starved  Traveller  in 
the  fable,  who  found  a  pilgrim's  pouch  beside  a  well, 
and  cried,  "  Here  is  my  food  !"  but  as  he  opened  it, 
he  sighed,  "  Alas  !  they  are  only  pearls  !"  O  ye  who 
teach  the  people, — tricking  out  the  Truth  of  God  in  all 
your  finery  that  she  may  pass  with  credit — trust  her 
in  her  white-robed  simplicity.  Have  you  not  some- 
times seen  with  shame  how  the  homely,  wholesome 
barley-loaf  was  eagerly  eaten,  when  all  your  fine  con- 
fections failed  ! 

But  passing  by  this  class,  and  coming  to  the  de- 
voted men  who  desire  to  be  utterly  faithful  in  their 
stewardship  —  do  they  tell  of  these  spiritual  privi- 
leges? Do  they  seek  — '^striving  mightily''' — to 
present  every  man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus  ?  Do  not 
even  these  falter?  Or,  if  the  fulness  of  Christ  be 
proclaimed,  is  it  not  often  as  a  study  for  our  admira- 
tion ?  If  the  beauty  of  holiness  be  delineated,  is  it 
not  as  one  of  the  lost  Arts  ?  Is  it  often  preached  not 
only  as  a  possible,  but  a  probable  attainment  ? 


56  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

There  is  a  reason  for  this  neglect,  which  may  be 
assigned  the  more  freely,  as  it  would  be  the  reason 
often  given  by  God's  servants  themselves — that  they 
have  no  such  experience  ;  and  that  they  can  not 
really  expect  their  hearers  to  be  influenced  by  mere 
precept.  A  joint  reason  might  be  added,  that  they  do 
not  see  around  them  the  living  examples  of  such  truth. 

At  the  same  time  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
many  most  honestly  hold  back,  because  they  have 
proved  some  flaw  in  the  teaching,  or  some  falsity  in 
the  life,  of  those  who  have  attempted  to  present  the 
higher  truths  of  the  Gospel.  They  are  thus  far  right, 
that  of  all  shams,  that  of  Sanctification  is  the  most 
sickening — of  all  hollow  pretences,  that  of  holiness  is 
most  fearful.  But  all  falsities,  all  crudities,  by  which 
man  may  surround  the  Truth,  do  not  for  a  moment 
make  that  Truth  itself  less  real  or  less  lovely. 

Of  old,  they  were  ten  against  two,  who  brought  the 
evil  report,  and  discouraged  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
What  a  warning  against  being  guided  by  majorities 
in  the  things  of  God,  or  entrusting  His  cause  to  a 
human  jury  !  Has  He  not  said,  ''  Let  God  be  true 
and  every  man  a  liar !" 

Yet  the  Lord  does  not  so  leave  His  truth  to  be 
utterly  deserted.  He  had  His  two  witnesses  even 
then.  And  who  now  ever  cares  to  remember  those 
other  ten  ?  Their  names  are  put  on  record,  but  are 
read  unheeded — Caleb  and  Joshua  are  alone  remem- 
bered and  honored.     Their  nobility  and  their  fidelity 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


57 


make  every  kindred  chord  throughout  our  hearts  to 
vibrate.  Surely  no  other  two  than  they  could  have 
borne  upon  their  shoulders  those  grapes  of  Eshcol ! 
Bringing  their  good  report  they  brought  its  proof 
also.  The  Lord  be  praised  that  He  ever  reserves 
such  witnesses.  In  every  age  there  have  been  those 
who  not  only  spoke  glorious  things  of  the  City  of 
God,  but  showed  in  their  lives  the  choicest  fruits  of 
the  Spirit.  True,  men  instead  of  tasting  their  grapes, 
try  to  stone  them  with  stones.  They  are  ready  to 
fling  their  hard  thoughts  and  hard  speeches  against 
them  for  a  time,  but  in  the  end  they  trust  them. 

But  while  such  is  the  responsibility  of  the  leaders 
of  the  people,  there  is  another  resting  upon  all.  It 
is  no  real  excuse  to  say  as  they  did  of  old,  "  Our 
brethren  have  discouraged  our  heart,"  since  our  re- 
sponsibility is  this  :  —  **  Yet  in  this  thing  ye  did  not 
believe  the  Lord  your  God." 

There  are  few  Christians  who  appear  to  understand 
how  fatal  a  sin  is  distrust.  They  are  v^ry  apt  to  re- 
gard it  as  at  worst  an  amiable  weakness,  while  the 
real  stamp  of  it  is  this  :  '■^He  that  belicveth  not  God 
hath  made  Him  a  liar!'  *  We  try  to  disguise  this 
doubting  of  God  and  His  Word,  by  claiming  that  it 
is  only  doubt  of  ourselves  ;  that  in  our  case,  God's 
Word  still  remaining  true,  there  are  such  very  practi- 
cal difficulties  that  it  can  not  be  fulfilled  ;  forgetting 
that  these  promises  of  God  were  addressed  to  man  as 

*  I  John  V.  lo. 
3* 


58  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

he  is,  in  all  the  weakness  and  disadvantage  of  his 
fallen  nature,  and  that  nothing  in  our  own  constitu- 
tion or  circumstances  can  be  any  hindrance  to  the 
mighty  power  of  God. 

What  if  we  should  begin  to  discount  human  prom- 
ises as  we  do  these  Divine  pledges?  We  see  at  once 
that  we  could  do  no  greater  wrong  to  the  friends  who 
love  us.  Every  doubting  of  God's  Word  is  a  distinct 
step  towards  atheism — for  if  we  take  away  from  our 
thought  of  God  our  confidence  in  His  love,  or  power, 
or  truthfulness,  what  is  there  left  to  receive  the  name 
of  God  ?  Yet  Christians  who  would  be  shocked  be- 
yond measure  at  the  thought  of  committing  such  sins 
as  either  theft  or  falsehood,  commit  with  scarcely  a 
thought  of  wrong,  this  great  sin  of  making  God  a  liar! 
And  then  as  He  lets  it  happen  to  them  according  to 
their  fears,  they  are  foolish  enough  to  accept  this  as 
a  confirmation  that  they  were  right  in  their  judgment. 
And  because  He  still  keeps  over  them  His  fatherly 
care,  they  are  presumptuous  enough  to  think  that 
there  is  nothing  so  greatly  amiss  in  their  present 
position. 

And  thus  there  are  those  who  will  tell  you  that  the 
Church  of  Christ  was  never  more  flourishing  than 
now.  They  are  ready  to  prove  it  by  statistics  of  all 
sorts.  Busy  with  their  counting,  they  forget  the  ways 
of  God,  and  see  not  the  fingers  that  silently  write 
amid  their  boasting,  "  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  bal- 
ances, and  art  found  wanting."     The  Laodicean  sign 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF.  cg 

of  entire  satisfaction  with  themselves  is  fulfilled, 
They  appeal  to  the  wealth  and  solid  worldly  stand- 
ing of  their  organizations,  and  say  complacently, 
"  We  are  rich  and  increased  with  goods."  Success 
is  their  idol,  and  spirituality  is  set  at  naught.  Mean- 
time they  seem  blinded  as  to  the  final  effect  of  such 
a  low  state  of  Christian  attainment  upon  the  world, 
and  forget  J lozv  powerless  to  win  souls  is  a  Church  that 
is  not  Christ-like  I 

But  along  with  the  classes  thus  indicated,  there  is 
a  large  and  daily  increasing  number,  who  earnestly 
desire  some  better  thing ;  who  have  never  assumed 
for  themselves  any  such  position  of  unfaithfulness, 
but  simply  find  themselves  involved  in  the  general 
shortcoming.  They  are  bent  upon  wholly  following 
the  Lord  their  God,  if  only  He  will  show  them  His 
way,  and  lead  them  out  of  their  perplexities.  For 
all  such  may  the  blessed  lessons  that  follow  in  the 
Book  of  Joshua  be  as  a  message  from  the  living  God. 
May  He  send  out  His  light  and  truth,  and  guide 
them,  and  bring  them  to  this  land  of  blessing. 

And  now  let  some  of  these  suggestions  be  still 
further  enforced  by  a, simple  sequel  to  the  fable  that 
closed  the  preceding  chapter. 

Nahshon,  the  son  of  Amminadab,  is  sitting  at  the 
hour  of  the  evening  sacrifice  in  his  tent  door.  Lean- 
ing upon  his  staff,  he  is  watching  with  dim  eyes  the 
smoke  of  the  Altar  as  it  rises  against  the  westward 


6o  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

sky.     Suddenly  he  is  startled  by  a  voice  :  "  Art  thou 
Nahshon  the  Prince  of  Judah  ?  " 

And  he  answered,  "  I  am  he,  but  I  can  not  behold 
thy  face.  Tell  me  whence  thou  comest,  and  where- 
fore." 

And  the  voice  made  answer,  "  I  am  Suli,  from  the 
land  of  Egypt.  Dost  thou  not  remember  that  eight 
and  thirty  years  ago,  I  did  eat  bread  in  thy  tent  ? 
Suffer  me  again  to  salute  thee." 

"  Thou  art  welcome,  O  Suli,  and  it  pleaseth  me 
that  thou  hast  turned  thy  feet  hither  once  more 
while  I  am  yet  alive." 

"  I  thank  thee  for  thy  welcome,  O  Prince,  but  ][ 
can  not  say  in  truth  that  I  also  am  pleased  to  find  the« 
where  thou  art.  Despise  not  my  pity,  but  I  remem 
ber  thy  expectation  of  that  '  good  land  and  large,'  a* 
thou  didst  love  to  call  it.  Yet  thou  hast  only  shared 
the  common  doom  of  man.  He  is  born  to  hope  and 
disappointment.  But  thy  sorrow,  O  Nahshon,  is  great 
beyond  that  of  most !  " 

"  Nay,  Suli,  thou  art  mistaken.  I  do  not  need  thy 
pity.  Hast  thou  not  heard  how  great  a  nation  we 
are  become  ?  When  I  was  set  over  the  house  of 
Judah,  they  were  but  threescore  and  fourteen  thou- 
sand and  six  hundred,  and  behold  how  greatly  my 
own  tribe  has  multiplied.  See,  also,  how  large  are 
the  camps  of  Issachar  and  Zebulun,  who  do  pitch 
with  me.  Whereas  those  that  are  numbered  in  the 
camp  of  Ephraim  are  nearly  fourscore  thousand  less. 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF.  5j 

My  o\^^n  tribe  has  always  taken  the  lead  in  our  march. 
All  this  rejoiceth  my  heart." 

"  But  I  see  not,  O  Nahshon,  how  this  can  comfort 
thee  under  the  failure  of  which  I  spake." 

"  Failure,  didst  thou  say?  Suli,  thou  art  mistaken 
I  do  assure  thee  we  have  had  great  success.  Behold, 
now,  our  Tabernacle.  When  I  made  my  first  offer^ 
ing  therein,  I  gave  one  silver  charger,  the  weight 
whereof  was  an  hundred  and  thirty  shekels.  Like- 
wise a  silver  bowl  of  seventy  shekels.  I  filled  them, 
moreover,  with  fine  flour  and  oil,  and  gave  with  them 
a  golden  spoon  full  of  incense  :  and  one  and  twenty 
sacrifices,  for  burnt-offerings,  and  sin-offerings,  and 
peace-offerings.  Likewise  did  all  the  Princes.  When 
I  had  first  made  mine  own  offering,  no  man  of  them 
all  offered  less." 

"  But  thou  art  telling  me  of  things  that  happened 
long  since.  I  did  hear  of  this  offering  of  thine  as  I 
left  thy  tent  before." 

"  Let  me  tell  thee,  then,  of  our  present  prosperity. 
Didst  thou  behold  as  thou  camest  the  cattle  of  Reu- 
ben and  of  Gad  upon  the  pastures  of  Bashan  ?  It  is 
a  land  they  say  that  excelleth  for  cattle,  and  their 
flocks  and  their  herds  have  greatly  multiplied." 

"  Thou  dost  not,  O  Nahshon,  understand  my 
thought.  I  spake  concerning  men,  and  not  of  cat- 
tle." 

"  Hast  thou  not,  then,  regarded  the  order  of  our 
camp  ?    Behold  our  men  of  war — how  they  are  trained 


62  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

to  great  skill !  Behold  the  discipline  that  is  observed 
through  all  the  host !  " 

"  I  have  observed  all  these  things  this  day ;  but 
still  I  can  but  judge  that  all  this  training  is  only  to 
be  accounted  of  as  the  means  unto  some  end.  I  do 
not  behold  an  end  that  is  worthy  of  it.  With  all 
these  men  of  war  you  have  not  been  able  to  enter 
that  land." 

"  But  hast  thou  considered,  O  Suli,  what  a  train- 
ing this  manner  of  life  is  for  us  ?  Have  we  no  need 
to  be  taught  patient  waiting  and  submission  ?  It  is 
a  part  of  our  belief  that  our  shortcomings  work  to- 
gether in  the  end  for  good.  We  are  kept  humble  by 
this  proving.  Who  knoweth  how  our  heart  m.ight 
have  been  lifted  up  in  pride  had  we  dwelt  upon  the 
other  side  of  Jordan  ?  " 

"  How  is  it,  O  Nahshon,  that  in  all  this  thou  dost 
not  speak  of  thy  God  ?  Thou  didst  ever  make  men- 
tion of  Him,  and  not  of  thyself,  when  I  did  entei 
thy  tent  before.  Is  He  still  the  God  whom  thou 
dost  worship  ?  " 

"  The  same,  O  Suli !  and  He  forgiveth  us  oft." 

"  Thou  art  wise,  O  Nahshon,  and  thy  people  with 
thee,  to  make  the  best  of  this  failure,  but  it  seemeth 
to  me  that  thou  art  not  wise  when  thou  sayest  that 
all  is  well  with  thee.  Suffer  me  to  ask  one  question 
further  of  thee.  If,  when  Moses  came  to  call  you, 
he  had  only  given  you  the  promise  of  your  God  to 
bring  you  out  of  Egypt,  and  had  said  nothing  at  all 


THE  FAILURE  OF  UNBELIEF. 


63 


of  Canaan,  but,  furthermore,  had  told  you  plainly 
that  you  would  spend  forty  years  in  the  Desert, 
v/ould  you  have  followed  him  ?  Thinkest  thou  he 
could  have  roused  the  nation  without  so  great  a 
promise?" 

"  Thou  hast  spoken  rightly,  and  therein,  as  it  seem- 
eth  to  me,  was  the  wisdom  of  such  a  promise.  We 
needed  to  set  out  with  high  hopes.  There  was  time 
enough  to  learn  aftervv^ards  to  give  them  up,  and  to 
take  the  other  blessings  of  which  I  spake." 

"  How  sayest  thou,  O  Nahshon  !  Is  thy  God  then  a 
Deceiver,  who  must  deal  falsely  with  you  to  draw  you 
on  "^  Surely,  thou  didst  tell  me,  eight  and  thirty 
years  ago,  that  He  had  given  you  such  a  promise, 
and  that  He  would  without  fail  give  you  that  Land." 

"  I  marvel,  O  Suli,  that  thou  dost  not  understand 
this.  The  Land  is  ours.  The  promise  is  the  same. 
None  of  us  for  a  moment  doubt  it.  In  all  our  holy 
songs  we  still  sing  about  it.  We  speak  of  it  some- 
times to  one  another,  that  it  is  ours  by  right,  for  God 
hath  given  it  to  us.  And,  indeed,  the  only  trouble 
is  that  while  we  know  it  to  be  our  home,  we  have  not 
yet  reached  it." 

"  Nay,  Nahshon,  if  this  be  thy  philosophy,  it  is 
falsely  so  called  ;  for  surely  not  to  possess  that  which 
we  have  been  promised,  is  worse  than  any  poverty 
whatsoever.  Thy  words  as  thou  speakest  now,  do 
contradict  all  whereof  thou  didst  once  assure  me. 
One  word  thou  spakest  then — the  saying  of  thy  father 


64  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Abraham — hath  ever  been  borne  in  mind  by  me  as 
the  sublimest  speech  mine  ears  have  ever  heard — • 
*  What  God  hath  promised  He  is  able  also  to  per- 
form! '  Not  until  then  had  I  ever  heard  ofaGod  of 
real  power,  who  had  never  failed  to  help  His  worship- 
ers. A  strange  whisper  sounded  through  my  soul, '  This 
is  that  unknown  God  for  whom  thou  seekest ! '  Yet 
have  I  wandered  on,  over  many  lands,  having  resolved 
to  spend  my  days  in  seeking  after  that  which  is  true, 
and  to  make  out  what  I  might  of  this  great  riddle  of 
life,  and  to  learn  of  those  mysterious  beings,  whom  we 
see  not,  but  who  no  less  clearly  seem  to  exist.  And 
now  I  had  come  back  to  thy  people  as  the  people  of 
the  True  and  Living  God.  But  from  that  which  thou 
hast  told  me,  I  perceive  that  thou  wast  mistaken. 
Even  He  is  not  true  !  All  others,  I  am  well  per- 
suaded, are  false ;  and  now  I  must  die,  despairing  of 
ever  knowing  whether  there  be  a  God  that  has  power 
upon  earth  or  no.  Thou  mayest  be  satisfied  for  thy- 
self, but  thou  hast  made  the  heart  of  thy  servant 
sad." 

"  Stay,  stay,  my  friend  !  Thou  dost  force  me  to 
confess  that  which  I  should  have  told  thee  at  the  first. 
Our  God  was  faithful  and  true  ;  but  we  ourselves 
became  disobedient,  and  refused  to  enter  the  land 
because  of  our  fears.  Therefore  are  all  we  who  are 
men  to  die  in  the  wilderness  ;  and  our  children  are 
yet  to  possess  it,  if  they  be  willing  and  obedient. 
Only  a  few  remain  among  the  living,  and  already,  as 


THE   FAILURE   OF    UNBELIEF.  65 

thou  seest,  O  Suli !  is  my  strength  decaying  before 
my  time.  So  soon  as  the  last  of  us  hath  departed, 
they  will  cross  over  Jordan  and  possess  that  land.  I 
rejoice  for  the  sake  of  my  children,  for  far  be  it  from 
them  to  live  the  life  which  I  have  lived.  I  can  only 
trust  that  we  may  render  this  service  to  our  God  ; 
that  all  who  follow  will  be  warned  by  our  example, 
what  a  fearful  thing  and  bitter  it  is  not  to  believe  in 
the  word  of  our  God.  Surely  all  generations  to  come 
will  point  the  finger  at  us  as  they  say,  '  Take  heed 
lest  ye  also  come  short  after  this  example  of  unbe- 
lief.* I  must  die,  but  may  thy  life,  O  Suli !  be  spared 
to  see  with  thine  own  eyes  what  glorious  things  the 
Lord  our  God  can  do.  And  then,  surely,  thou  wilt 
cast  ill  thy  lot  with  this  people,  and  thou  wilt  say, 
*  This  God  shall  be  my  God  for  ever  and  ever.  He 
is  true  and  faithful  altogether.'  " 


CHAPTER    III. 

CHANGE     OF     LEADERSHIP. 

^'ivyroSES  my  servant  is  dead.    Now,  there- 

-1-Vl  FORE,  ARISE,  GO  OVER  THIS  JORDAN,  THOU 
\ND   ALL  THIS   PEOPLE." — (Joshua  i.  2). 

In  the  lessons  which  are  drawn  in  Holy  Scripture 
from  various  events,  there  seems  little  care  to  bring 
even  the  moral  antecedents  into  unity  with  the  one 
point  which  supplies  the  instruction.  In  reality, 
Moses  was  excluded  from  the  promised  land  because 
he  spake  unadvisedly  with  his  lips.  But  in  accord 
with  Christ's  own  manner  of  teaching,*  we  are  at 
perfect  liberty  to  draw  a  lesson  from  his  removal  to 
give  place  to  Joshua,  as  though  this  cause  had  not 
existed.  Unquestionably  his  death  at  this  critical 
period,  and  the  raising  up  of  a  new  leader  whose 
very  name  anticipated  Jesus,t  were  designed  to  tegch 


*  See,  for  instance,  the  Parables  of  the  Friend  at  Midnight,  and 
the  Unjust  Judge. 

t  "  Instead  of  Hosea,  /.  <?.,  help,  which  he  was  already  called 
as  the  delegate  of  his  tribe,  Moses  named  him,  with  little  change 
of  the  sound,  but  with  an  important  addition  to  the  sense,  Jehos- 
hua,  /.  e.,  God  help." — Ewald. 

"  Such  a  union  of  mildness  with  strength,  of  simplicity  with 
(66) 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP,  6/ 

US  the  separate  spheres  of  Law  and  Grace — "  The 
Law  was  given  by  Moses,  but  Grace  and  Truth  came 
by  Jesus  Christ."  * 

As  they  could  not  possibly  enter  Canaan  until  Moses 
had  died,  so  the  Law  is  in  one  sense  a  hindrance.  It 
can  never  introduce  us  into  the  fulness  of  the  bless- 
ing of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  It  must  not  only  die, 
but  be  buried,  and  all  the  days  of  its  mourning 
must  be  ended.  It  might  be  objected  to  such  an 
application  of  these  facts,  that  had  the  people  en- 
tered Canaan  from  Kadesh-Barnea,  Moses  would  in 
that  case  have  been  their  leader.  But  the  same  ex- 
ception might  be  taken  to  many  an  inspired  com- 
ment. The  bare  event  itself,  apart  from  cause  or 
circumstances,  is  counted  sufficient  for  "  the  analogy 
of  faith." 

And  this  special  lesson,  though  not  drawn  for  us 
by  any  inspired  writer,  is  in  the  fullest  harmony  with 
their  teaching.  The  whole  Epistle  to  the  Galatians 
is  an  earnest  adjustment  of  the  relations  of  Law  and 
Grace — Works  and  Faith — Moses  and  Christ.  One 
of  the  most  important  sections  of  the  Epistle  to  the 


prudence,  of  humility  with  magnanimity,  has  in  it  something" 
evang-elical.  This  pecuHarity  of  his  character,  together  with  the 
peculiarity  of  the  period  in  the  kingdom  of  God  in  which  he 
lived,  and  of  the  position  which  he  took,  makes  him  and  his 
work  a  rich  type  of  Him  that  was  to  zom^"—F.R,Fay:  — 
Langes  Com. 


*  John  i.  17. 


68  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Romans  deals  with  the  same  subject,  entering  into 
some  of  its  deepest  difficulties.  In  both  of  these 
Epistles  the  truth  that  is  taught  has  special  reference, 
not  to  conversion,  but  to  Christian  life.  It  is,  in  fact, 
at  some  of  the  advancing  stages  of  his  course,  that 
the  disciple  begins  to  find  his  need  of  such  strong 
protests  against  the  law.  The  usual  tendency  is  to 
run  well  for  a  season,  and  then  to  be  hindered. 
And  while  many  other  things  may  at  first  cause  the 
failure  of  God's  children  to  enter  their  glorious  in- 
heritance, there  can  be  no  doubt  that  subsequently, 
by  far  the  greatest  hindrance  is  their  legality. 

The  moment  that  faith  ceases  to  look  unto  Jesus, 
it  loses  all  that  heavenly  vision  that  lies  above  the 
horizon  ;  and  as  the  eye  is  still  lowered,  and  the 
glance  shortened,  there  is  only  self  for  it  to  rest 
upon  ; — not  always  self  in  its  indulgent  forms,  but 
self  in  its  sufficiency ;  self  even  in  its  denials  ;  self 
in  all  its  solitary  struggles.  The  history  of  many  a 
Christian  has  for  its  chief  data  his  so-called  holy  reso- 
lutions. 

So  blinded  are  the  victims  of  this  legality  that  they 
, never  dream  of  such  a  snare  being  set  for  them.  They 
find  themselves  convicted  of  failure.  Stirred  up  by 
the  power  of  the  Spirit,  the  will  is  aroused  from  its 
carelessness,  and  returns  to  its  loyalty  to  God.  And 
then  it  begins  to  act  in  its  own  strength.  It  says  to 
itself,  ''  It  shall  no  longer  be  thus ;  I  will  from  this 
moment  lead  a  better  and  nobler  life;   I  will  put 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP.  6q 

forth  all  my  efforts,  and  surely  God  will  help  me." 
And  so  this  poor,  humbled  will  regains  its  own  self- 
respect.  It  begins  to  build  up  a  reputation  for  itself 
It  does  not  see  that  this  is  self-reliance  and  not 
Faith. 

Greatly  to  its  astonishment  it  finds  that  it  does  not 
sustain  this  purpose.  And  now  to  its  solemn  resolu- 
tions it  adds  its  vows.  It  will  bind  itself  to  God's 
will  so  that  it  can  not  break  away.  And  lo  !  the 
vow  is  vanity.  Now  it  adds  intenser  effort — ''  I  must 
wrestle — I  must  struggle — it  can  not  be  that  I  am  to 
go  down  before  the  puny  power  of  these  petty  pas- 
sions— that  the  things  which  I  despise  should  yet 
master  me."  It  is  confounded  when  it  finds  that  all 
these  efforts  only  seem  to  call  out  the  strength  of  its 
foe.  Seeing  that  the  battle  is,  indeed,  desperate,  it 
betakes  itself  more  earnestly  to  prayer,  but  not  to  the 
prayer  of  simple  trust.  It  is  only  a  varied  exercise 
of  its  own  energy.  It  is  only  fulfilling  one  more  of 
the  many  works  which  it  is  told  it  must  perform.  Its 
reliance  is  really  more  upon  prayer  than  upon  God, 
It  is  in  utter  consternation  when  it  finds  that  even 
yet  its  help  cometh  not.  What  further  can  it  do  ? 
It  catches  a  watchword,  "  Believe  only !"  Ah  !  surely 
it  has  found  the  secret  now  !  and  leaving  all  else  it 
will  do  this  alone.  Yes,  it  will  believe,  and  it  puts 
forth  its  last  tremendous  energy  in  what  it  calls  an 
act  of  trust,  but  still  self-originated,  self-centred. 

Thus  every  stepping-stone  which  God  has  furnished 


70 


THE  FULNESS  CF  BLESSING. 


by  which  Faith  may  draw  nigh  to  Him,  Legality 
turns  into  a  stone  of  stumbhng.  Its  provided  helps 
become  its  hindrances,  and  only  by  repeated  defeat 
does  it  learn  that  the  law  is  but  a  standard,  and  never 
strength.  It  brings  with  it  no  power  to  fulfil  itself, 
and  sc  becomes  weak,  indeed,  through  the  flesh. 

To  say  that  it  finds  no  -a^bility  in  man  to  keep  it, 
would  be  to  deny  all  moral  responsibility.  To  some 
extent  it  finds  man  able  to  observe  it  in  its  letter. 
But  as  the  Law  becomes  Spiritual,  as  its  significance 
unfolds,  as  the  Law  given  at  Sinai  is  expounded  on 
the  Mount,  as  it  claims  the  thoughts  and  intents  of 
the  heart,  it  finds  the  utmost  strength  of  man  unequal 
to  it.  However  meeting  some  of  its  requirements, 
yet  in  others  failing,  he  is  with  all  his  care  a  trans- 
gressor. 

And  the  wretchedness  of  this  failure  is  that  he  does 
not  do  this  evil  thing  of  choice.  To  will  the  good 
is  present  with  him,  but  how  to  perform  it  he  finds 
not.  It  is  another  law  warring  within  him,  and  bring- 
ing him  into  captivity.  He  is  like  the  strong  man 
upon  whom  insidious  disease  is  creeping.  His  task 
is  before  him,  and  he  applies  himself  without  a  mis- 
giving of  failure.  A  strange  languor  drags  him  down. 
He  is  not  doing  it  as  he  ought,  and  again  he  bestirs 
himself.  And  as  he  still  fails,  he  goads  himself  on 
even  with  violence.  But  at  last  the  law  of  disease 
asserts  its  full  might,  and  he  falls  powerless.  Sin  is  a 
disease.     It  works  through  all  our  nature  like  a  poi- 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP.  ji 

son.  The  claims  of  the  law  were  adjusted  to  health; 
and  while  under  this  disturbance  there  is  the  constant 
and  inevitable  failure  to  meet  them  all.  The  sick  man 
must  be  healed  before  he  can  possibly  fulfil  the  tasks 
of  health. 

Or,  it  is  as  when  the  frosts  of  winter  still  hold  in 
their  death-like  grasp  the  trees  of  the  forest  and  the 
seeds  in  the  bosom  of  the  earth.  A  law  of  growth 
has  been  given  them.  But  this  other  law  utterly 
opposes  it.  You  place  the  perfect  seed  in  the  soil, 
and  you  ask  it  to  fulfil  the  law  of  its  being.  It  can 
noty  until  the  soft  showers  have  touched  it,  until  the 
quickening  rays  of  the  sun  have  reached  it.  This  law 
of  growth  is  dependent  upon  powers  that  are  to  reach 
it  from  above.     By  itself  it  is  a  prisoner  forever. 

And  so  at  last,  man  learns  that  the  great  law  of  his 
spiritual  being  is,  that  he  shall  live  by  Faith.  He  learns 
that  his  life  is  always  derived, and  always  dependent. 
He  learns  that  a  power  outside  of  himself,  even  the 
power  of  Christ,  must  be  brought  to  bear  steadily 
upon  him,  and  so  control  him  continually,  if  he  ever 
fulfils  his  destiny.  As  he  needed  once  a  Justifier,  so 
he  always  needs  a  Sanctifier. 

When  he  sees  at  last  that  the  help  must  be  a  Liv- 
ing Helper,  when  he  ceases  to  ask,  ''  What  shall  I 
do  ?"  and  cries  instead,  "  Who  shall  deliver  me  ?"  he 
is  very  near  his  only  possible  answer — ''  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord."  He  wages  an  unequal  warfare  till  the 
law  of  sin  and  death  is  met  by  ''  the  law  of  the  spirit 


72 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


of  life  in  Christ  Jesus."  When  this  mighty  Ally 
enters,  the  Usurper  is  mastered,  and  the  soul  is  made 
free. 

Henceforth  weak  as  ever  in  itself,  it  learns  what  it 
is  to  be  "  strengthened  with  might  by  the  Spirit  in 
the  inner  man."  Such  words  as,  "Christ  liveth  in 
me,"  are  now  no  vague  and  mystic  speech,  but  the 
simplest  expression  of  absolute  truth.  The  death  of 
Moses  marked  a  new  epoch.  But  it  marks  a  more 
wondrous  epoch  in  the  history  of  our  souls  when  we 
give  up  the  law  as  our  Leader,  and  are  given  over 
fully  to  the  power  of  Jesus.  In  some  respects  it  is  a 
critical  change,*  for  we  need  thoroughly  to  under- 


*  Olshausen's  clear  spiritual  insight  becomes  especially  power- 
ful in  his  treatment  of  this  subject — as,  for  instance,  in  these  few 
detached  passages  :  "  The  lofty  aim  of  man,  the  diKaioavvr]  Oeov, 
is  to  be  obtained  without  law  through  faith  in  Christ.  By  the 
;t«/j?f  vbiiov,  however,  as  is  self-evident,  it  is  not  intended  to  ex- 
press a  renunciation  of  the  law,  for  the  law  is  holy  and  good, 
and  necessary  for  all  phases  of  life,  but  to  designate  the  altered 

position  in  which  man  stands  to  the  law The  condition 

in  which  man  is  thoroughly  one  with  the  law,  even  as  our  Lord 
tells  us  God  Himself  is,  constitutes  exactly  that  diKaioavvq  Oeov, 
to  which  faith  brings  us,  because  through  faith  7nan  receives  the 
beiftg  of  God  into  the  depths  of  his  soul." 

"  That  which  is  new  in  the  Gospel  does  not  consist  in  a  more 
excellent  system  of  morality,  but  in  this,  that  the  Gospel  opc7is  a 
new  source  of  stre?igth,  by  means  of  which  true  morality  is  at- 
tainable." 

"  The  death  of  the  faithful  in  the  old  man  is  connected  with 
the  death  of  the  Redeemer,  so  that  His  death  was  their  death, 
and  did  not  merely  prefigure  it As  litde  as  the  wife  may 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP. 


n 


stand  that  thus  we  do  "  not  make  void  the  law,"  but 
ever  ''  establish  the  law,"  till  the  righteousness  of  the 
law  is  fulfilled  in  us. 

Life  is  its  own  law.  Lifeless  things  are  fashioned 
from  without.  The  Masterpiece  of  Architecture  must 
be  led  slowly  up — shaped  with  line  and  plummet,  and 
squared  and  measured  continually ;  and  meanwhile, 
a  tiny  seed  shall,  without  line  or  measure,  or  the  touch 
of  a  human  hand  upon  it,  or  the  outward  application 
of  any  law,  shape  itself  into  the  perfect  grace  and 
symmetry  of  a  forest  tree.  How  it  mocks  all  art ! 
Art  may  copy  its  arching,  interlacing  boughs.  Art 
may  shape  its  lordly  pillars  also  ;  but  how  shall  it 


wantonly  separate  from  her  husband,  since  his  death  is  requisite 
for  her  Hberation  :  so  little  may  the  "  I  "  free  itself  from  the  law 
as  long  as  the  old  man  is  living.  If  this  is  done,  therefore,  as  is 
always  the  case  where  a  mere  seeming  faith  prevails,  it  is  a 
spiritual  adultery,  the  lust  after  false  freedom,  that  is,  licentious- 
ness, lawlessness.  The  liberation  from  the  law  rightly  takes 
place  only  where  the  new  man  arose  in  the  stead  of  the  old, 
where,  therefore,  Christ  is  truly  living  in  the  man.  There  is  no 
licentiousness,  for  Christ  brings  with  Him  the  strictest  law  where- 
soever He  works  ;  but  the  yoke  of  the  law  is  removed  by  that 
love  which  is  shed  into  the  hearts.  This  love  urges  to  do  more 
than  the  law  requires,  and  to  fulfil  every  act  with  purer  intention 
than  the  most  threatening  law  can  demand.  For  love  is  insa-' 
tiable.  She  never  satisfies  herself  and  the  Beloved  ;  she  burns 
on  till  with  her  fire  she  glows  through  the  whole  heart  and 
being,  and  has  sacrificed  her  all  to  the  Beloved.  After  this 
manner  works  the  Gospel  all  in  man  without  law,  although  it 
exacts  nothing  from  him,  but  only  promises,  and  gives  to  him." 
— Olshausen  on  the  Romans  {Clark's  Edition),  pp.  143-231. 

4 


/4 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


ever  carve  out  those  countless  leaves,  and  keep  them 
moving  lightly  in  their  airy  dance  !  It  is  a  thing  of 
life.  Its  law  was  hidden  in  itself,  and  yet  how  true 
to  law.  The  pattern  once  given  by  God  to  the  parent 
stock  is  faithfully  reproduced.  Thousands  of  years 
ago  God  said,  ''  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  fruit 
tree  yielding  fruit  after  his  kind,  whose  seed  is  in 
itself,  and  it  was  so."  And  it  is  still  so.  That  which 
we  watch  with  wonder  is  the  continuous  creation  of 
God. 

And  such  is  the  manner  of  that  inward  law  by 
which  fallen  man  comes  to  be  "  renewed  after  the 
image  of  Him  that  created  him."  Born  again  of  in- 
corruptible seed,  it  must  develop  in  the  likeness  of 
that  from  which  it  is  derived.  '*  Whosoever  is  born 
of  God  doth  not  commit  sin ;  for  his  seed  remaineth 
in  him  :  and  he  can  not  sin,  because  he  is  born  of 
God."*  It  is  a  strong  statement,  but  it  is  held  to 
truthfulness  by  all  the  analogy  of  nature.  It  is  the 
glorious  law  of  the  Spirit  of  Life.  Wherever  Christ 
is  allowed  to  come,  He  comes  with  creative  power, 
both  killing  and  making  alive.  He  comes  in  to  be 
Himself  all  in  all.  He  comes  into  our  being  with 
His  Edict,  "  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new !" 

As  a  striking  preparation  for  the  removal  of  Moses, 
we  find  him  in  renewed  authority.  Deuteronomy  is 
composed  almost  entirely  of  his  words.  There  all 
God's  dealings  with  His  Chosen  pass  in  solemn  re- 

*  I  John  iii,  9. 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP.  ^5 

view.  Then  the  Law  is  recapitulated,  but  with  a 
significant  change  that  may  well  be  stamped  in  the 
title  of  the  Book  as  a  Second  Lazu.  It  is  give,ji  now 
not  so  much  in  threatening  as  in  blessing.  Richei" 
promises  cluster  around  it.  It  constantly  anticipates 
the  life  of  Israel  in  the  Land  of  Promise.  It  is  the 
Law  less  in  its  letter  and  more  in  its  spirit ;  as,  for 
instance,  in  the  sixth  chapter,  where  all  the  com- 
mandments are  headed  up  in  one  that  so  wonderfully 
anticipates  the  Gospel :  **  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  might."*  The  purpose  of  the  Law 
stands  out  more  clearly — ^^  for  thy  good  always  And 
at  length  the  Law  clothes  itself  with  the  soft  tints  of 
the  morning,  and  almost  shines  with  the  same  glory 
that  shines  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  God  is 
spoken  of  as  having  a  delight  in  them  to  love  them, 
and  as  rejoicing  over  them  for  good. 

And  in  this  is  prefigured  the  pathway  by  which  the 
soul  passes  out  into  the  fulness  of  Grace.  A  Deuter- 
onomy is  as  needful  a  preparation  as  Sinai.  The  Dis- 
ciple of  the  Law  has  not  outgrown  his  tutelage  till, 
from  the  mere  use  of  rules,  he  passes  to  the  deep 
principles  that  underlie  them.  The  Law  thus  even 
revives  in  preparation  for  its  passing,  and  with  less 
of  terror,  and  more  of  love,  makes  its  claims  to  be 
more  imperatively  felt  than  ever. 

And  now  it  is  almost  ready  to  depart ;  and  yet  one 

♦  Deut.  vi.  5. 


^6  THE  FULKfESS  OF  BLESSf/^G. 

thing  remains  to  be  done.  There  has  come  through 
all  this  discipHne,  this  leading  on  and  on,  the  most 
intense  desire  to  reach  the  goal.  Shall  it  have  no 
glimpse  of  all  the  grace  it  has  been  ministering  unto  ? 
Even  so  Moses  entreated  the  Lord —  "  I  pray  thee  let 
me  go  over  and  see  the  good  land  that  is  beyond 
Jordan,  that  goodly  mountain,  and  Lebanon." 

And  so  he  stood  upon  the  top  of  Pisgah,  while  the 
Lord,  who  stood  beside  him  ready  to  give  him  burial, 
showed  him  all  the  land.  The  eye  that  was  not  dim 
received,  doubtless,  some  new  power  as  God  bade  him 
look —  "  This  is  the  land  which  I  sware  unto  Abraham, 
unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  saying,  I  will  give  it  un- 
to thy  seed  ;  I  have  caused  thee  to  see  it  with  thine 
eyes,  but  thou  shalt  not  go  over  thither.  "* 

Not  tJien,  and  not  until  his  Lord  summoned  him 
from  that  valley  sepulchre  which  none  else  knew,  to 
climb  another  mountain,  and  appear  there  with  a  fel- 
low-servant who  had  not  tasted  even  death  as  he  was 
taken  up — both  of  them  sharing  now  in  their  Lord's 
transfiguration  ;  talking  not  of  that  mystic  burial, 
not  of  that  mysterious  chariot  of  fire,  but  of  that 
decease  yet  to  be  accomplished  at  Jerusalem.  When 
Christ  is  glorified,  Law  and  Prophecy  appear  with 
Him  in  glory  ;  yet  in  such  wise  that  their  light  is 
speedily  absorbed  in  His,  and  the  eyes  that  look  see 
"  Jesus  only,"  and  the  ears  that  hearken  are  bidden 
to  "  HEAR  Him." 

*  Deut.  xxxiv.  4. 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP.  77 

In  the  first  command  that  reaches  Joshua  after  the 
death  of  Moses,  we  find  an  expression  full  of  mean- 
ing—" Thou  and  all  this  people."  Throughout  the 
Book  we  never  find  the  Lord  speaking  directly  to  the 
nation  ;  but  as  the  "  Lord  spake  unto  Joshua,"  so  "  he 
spake  unto  the  people."  It  had  been  thus  since  they 
said  unto  Moses,  "  Speak  thou  with  us  and  we  will 
hear;  but  let  not  God  speak  with  us  lest  we  die."* 
But  not  only  is  Joshua  the  mediator  between  the  Lord 
and  Israel,  in  the  same  manner  that  Moses  was,  but 
we  find  now  a  new  identification  between  the  Leader 
and  People:  He  is  included  with  them  and  they  with 
him.  ''Go  thou  over  this  Jordan;"  — "Be  thou 
strong  and  very  courageous;"  —  "!  have  given  into 
thine  hand  Jericho."  In  all  these  charges  the  people 
also  are  signified,  but  as  represented  in  him.  And 
so  the  Record  is  fitly  called,  not  the  Acts  of  the. 
Israelites,  but  the  Book  of  Joshua.  One  person  is 
pre-eminent. 

The  spiritual  truth  with  which  this  is  in  harmony 
is  of  exceeding  importance.  Our  Gospel  is  the  Gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ,  not  of  any  truth  or  blessing  apart 
from  Him.  Standing  as  the  Mediator  between  God 
and  Man,  not  only  has  He  entered  into  heaven  for 
us,  but  also  in  every  step  of  His  pathway  He  took 
us  with  Him,  saying  evermore  to  His  Father,  "  Behold 
I  and  the  children  whom  thou  hast  given  Me  !"  f 

And  He  did  this  not  ideally,  but  in  a  sense  as  true 
■^  Ex.  XX.  19.  tHeb.ii.  13. 


78 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


as  it  is  deep.  That  which  was  true  of  the  parent 
tree,  is  true  of  its  branches.  We  do  not  assign  one 
age  to  its  trunk  and  another  to  its  twigs.  We  speak 
of  it  as  a  unit.  This  same  continuity  of  Hfe  belongs 
to  mankind.  Thus  St.  Paul  speaks  of  Levi  paying 
tithes  in  Abraham.  So,  also,  he  says,  "  I  HAVE  BEEN 
crucified  zvitk  Christ."  So  he  reasons  that  if  "  One 
died  for  all,  therefore  all  diedJ'  So  he  teaches  us  to 
reckon  our  rising  into  newness  of  life  from  His 
resurrection — "  Ye  were  also  raised  again  WITH 
Himr'^ 

To  Jesus  was  given  the  glorious  work  of  conquer- 
ing a  possession  for  all  His  people.  As  the  Prince 
of  Faith,  He  passed  through  death  to  life,  and  took 
and  held  for  us  the  heavenly  heights  of  all  spiritual 
blessing.  Putting  Himself  as  one  of  us,  and  speak- 
ing as  the  Head  of  the  whole  Body,  He  declared, 
"  For  their  sakes  I  sanctify  Myself,  that  they  also 
might  be  sanctified  through  the  truth. '*f 

So,  then,  the  work  of  sanctification  is  primarily  to 
be  regarded  as  that  which  Jesus  has  already  done,  not 
as  that  which  we  have  yet  to  do.     The  completion 

*  "  If  Christ  took  our  nature  upon  Him  by  an  act  of  love,  it 
was  not  that  of  one,  but  of  all.  He  was  not  one  man  only 
among  men,  but  in  Him  all  humanity  was  gathered  up.  And 
thus  now,  as  at  all  time,  mankind  are,  so  to  speak,  organic- 
ally united  with  Him.  His  acts  are  in  a  true  sense  our  acts,  so 
far  as  we  realize  the  union ;  His  death  is  our  death,  His  resurrec- 
tion our  resurrection." —  Westcotfs  Gospel  of  the  Resurrection^ 

t  John  x\ii.  19. 


CHANGE  OF  LEADERSHIP.  79 

of  it  is  simply  this,  that  we  apprehend  that  for  which 
we  were  apprehended  by  Jesus  Christ. 

Thus,  in  Christ,  Christian  experience  is  no  longer 
problematical.  It  is  only  the  corollary  of  faith  fol- 
lowing from  the  truth  which  He  has  demonstrated. 

The  intellectual  apprehension  of  this  truth,  how- 
ever easy  to  some,  appears  to  be  extremely  difficult 
to  others.  Yet  its  spiritual  apprehension  makes  it 
simple  to  all.  Let  it  once  be  clearly  recognized  by 
faith,  and  we  stand  forthwith  upon  new  ground.  No 
longer  on  the  shifting  sands  of  our  narrow  selfhood, 
we  tread  the  Rock  of  Ages  in  all  its  breadth  and 
strength. 

It  happens  with  this  truth  more  often,  perhaps, 
than  with  others,  that  we  think  ourselves  perfectly 
familiar  with  it,  while  knowing  very  little  of  it.  In 
its  real  revelation  to  our  souls  there  can  be  no  mis- 
taking it.  It  is  no  longer  a  theory  at  which  we  look, 
but  a  Power  that,  like  the  living  Creature  in  the 
wheels,  lifts  us  up  and  bears  us  ever  onward. 

''  Thou,  and  all  this  people."  —  "  Christ  first,  after- 
wards they  that  are  Christ's."  And  so  our  career  is 
already  certified,  being  only  this,  to  follow  Him  whith- 
ersoever He  goeth.  God's  promise  links  togethei 
the  Leader  and  his  followers  when  He  declares, 
"  Every  place  that  the  sole  of  your  foot  shall  tread 
upon,  that  have  I  given  unto  you."*  The  feet  of 
Jesus  have  outstripped    our  feet ;  but    every  place 

*  Josh.  i.  3. 


8o  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

whereon  His  blessed  feet  have  rested,  is  already  con- 
quered, and  is  ours  as  well  as  His.  Life,  death,  things 
present,  things  to  come,  all  are  ours,  for  we  are  Christ's. 
Far  above  us,  up  the  heights  we  slowly  climb,  we  see 
His  standard  set  already.  "  We  see  not  yet  all  things 
put  under  us^  but  we  see  Jesus  crowned  with  glory 
and  honor."  Since  He  is  seated  there,  our  place  is 
there — at  Sion,  not  at  Sinai. 

We  set  at  naught  all  this  work  of  Christ,  when  we 
go  back  to  Moses,  and  with  him  exceedingly  fear  and 
quake  before  the  terrible  sight,  and  the  trumpet  of 
the  Law.  How  has  our  Captain  charged  us, —  '*  See 
that  ye  refuse  not  Him  that  now  speaketh  from 
Heaven."  See  that  ye  believe  His  truth  and  grace. 
See  that  ye  trust  Him,  and  let  the  exceeding  fear 
give  place  to  the  exceeding  joy  of  ever  looking  unto 
Jesus,  the  Prince  and  Perfecter  of  Faith. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

THE     BOUNDARY     LINE. 

^''T'-HE  GOOD  LAND  THAT  IS  BEYOND  JORDAN." 
A  — {Deut.  iii.  25). 
The  crossing  of  Jordan  was  to  be  the  great  initia- 
tive of  the  Conquest.  All  the  events  of  their  future 
were  focalized  at  this  point,  and,  therefore,  thither 
their  eyes  were  always  directed.  "  When  ye  be  come 
over  Jordan,"  was  the  fitting  introduction  of  many  a 
precept.  The  wisdom  of  God  is  very  apparent  in 
leading  His  people  out  of  Egypt  by  the  way  of  the 
Red  Sea,  appointing  that  as  the  memorable  boundary 
of  the  land  of  bondage,  and  there  "  baptizing  them 
unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea."  It  is  the 
counterpart  of  this  act  to  give  them  now  a  like  bap- 
tism in  Jordan — committing  them,  by  another  marked 
display  of  His  power,  to  the  leadership  of  Joshua, 
and  bringing  them  in  with  an  arm  outstretched  as 
wide  as  when  He  brought  them  out.  The  two  cross- 
ings stand  thus  coupled  in  the  second  Psalm  of  the 
Hallel,  as  similar  displays  of  the  presence  and  power 
of  God— "  What  ailed  thee,  O  thou  Sea,  that  thou 
fleddest,  thou  Jordan,  that  thou  wast  driven  back  !"  "^ 

*  Ps.  cxiv.  5. 

4*  (81) 


82  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Elsewhere,  we  find  an  omission  of  the  crossing  of 
Jordan  as  significant  as  this  special  mention  of  it. 
In  that  sublime  chapter  in  Hebrews,  where  the  heroes 
of  the  kingdom  pass  along  their  triumphal  way  of 
Faith,  there  is  a  sudden  hiatus  of  forty  years,  leaving 
two  remote  events  in  conjunction  :  "  By  faith  they 
passed  through  the  Red  Sea  as  by  dry  land,  which 
the  Egyptians  assaying  to  do,  were  drowned.  By 
faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down  after  they  were 
compassed  about  seven  days."*  Up  to  this  point 
each  important  step  had  been  noted  ;  but  the  Apostle 
would  not  turn  aside  to  trace  the  by-ways  of  unbe- 
lief; no,  not  even  to  glance  at  that  step  of  faith 
which  ended  them.  The  record  with  this  silence 
restores  the  true  order  of  experience.  Had  there 
been  no  wandering,  there  would  have  been  no  Jor- 
dan to  cross. 

In  harmony  with  this  we  find  that  the  Epistles 
which  describe  so  fully  the  doctrines  of  Christ,  never 
teach  that  any  second  marked  experience  is  needful 
to  follow  conversion  save  this  —  after  they  had  be- 
lieved, to  be  "  sealed  with  that  holy  Spirit  of  promise," 
wWch  was  the  earnest  of  their  inheritance.f  The 
route  which  they  marked  out  for  every  traveller  ran 
direct  to  Kadesh-Barnea.  Besides  this,  such  was  the 
faith  of  the  early  disciples,  that  they  could  be  usually 
addressed  as  those  who  were  already  in  heavenly 
places,   although  very  far,  in   some   instances,   from 

♦  Heb.  xi.  29,  30.  t  Eph.  i.  13,  14. 


THE  BO  UN  BAR  V  LINE.  g  3 

having  conquered  all  their  enemies,  and  from  possess- 
ing all  the  land.  The  counsel  adapted  to  them  is 
precisely  that  which  we  need,  as  we  come  to  take  the 
same  stand  of  faith.  But  iintil  then  we  need  another 
lesson.  Thus,  in  the  case  of  giving  counsel  to  a  for- 
eigner already  landed  on  our  shore,  we  would  say 
nothing  about  the  sea.  Whereas,  were  he  on  the  other 
side,  we  would  speak  first  of  the  most  pressing  point 
— how  to  cross.  Such  crossing  over  is  unquestionably 
the  great  need  of  the  majority  of  Christians  ;  not  to 
make  some  slight  change  in  their  course,  but  to  get 
upon  new  ground. 

And  yet  there  may  for  many  be  other  needs,  lying 
back  of  this.  Some  may  have  accomplished  their 
Exodus  who  have  not  learned  Leviticus  ; — who  have 
not  come  to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 
Others,  again,  have  never  passed  through  Numbers 
— have  never  declared  their  pedigree  and  claimed 
their  adoption.  Others  who  have  come  thus  far 
have  stopped  short  of  Deuteronomy.  Having  drawn 
back  in  unbelief  and  lost  their  vantage  ground,  they 
have  never  been  roused  to  have  the  law  revived  in 
their  hearts,  and  pressing  its  claims  upon  them  with 
all  the  more  force,  for  all  that  they  have  learned  of 
the  goodness  of  God.  Some,  indeed,  there  seem  to 
be,  who  have  even  forgotten  that  there  is  a  Land  of 
Promise  before  them.  They  have  neither  climbed  a 
Pisgah  for  themselves,  nor  believed  the  report  that 
has  been  brought  by  others. 


84  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Doubtless  much  of  the  failure  of  those  who  think 
for  a  time  that  they  have  found  the  desired  blessing, 
only  to  learn  their  mistake,  is  the  result  of  neglecting 
this  preliminary  teaching.  Their  need  is  deeper  than 
is  apprehended  by  themselves  or  others.  It  is  in  vain 
to  think  of  crossing  over  Jordan,  until  God  has  pre- 
pared us  to  conquer  and  to  hold  the  land  ;  and  how 
can  this  be  done,  unless  we  know  assuredly  that  He 
is  ours  and  that  we  are  His  ?  Happily,  these  ante- 
cedent steps,  while  all  important  to  be  taken,  may 
be  rapidly  taken  ;  and  still  more  happily,  a  large 
number  of  Christians  are  prepared  to  take  them  as 
soon  as  they  are  clearly  pointed  out.  These  are 
steps  of  comparative  ease  ;  but  the  step  which  now 
more  specially  claims  our  attention,  is  one  that  no 
human  foot  can  take  by  itself.  God  Himself  must 
make  the  pathway  here  ;  and  when  it  is  made,  His 
wonderful  work  will  be  coupled  forever,  in  our 
thoughts  and  in  our  songs,  with  His  first  great  work 
for  us :  *'  The  Sea  saw  it  and  fled !  Jordan  was 
driven  back  ! " 

What  then  does  Jordan  signify  ?  and  what  more 
does  it  teach  us  than  was  signified  in  the  Red  Sea 
crossing?  St.  Paul  has  taught  us  that  the  fathers 
were  "  baptized  unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in  the 
sea."  "^  It  was  a  shadow  of  that  substance  concerning 
which  he  writes— '*  Buried  with  Him  in  baptism, 
wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with   Him."     The  Lamb 

*  I  Cor.  X.  2. 


THE  BO  UN  DA  R  V  LINE.  g  5 

with  its  sprinkled  blood  had  set  forth  one  all-impor- 
tant aspect  of  salvation — that  of  Atonement ;  while 
the  Red  Sea  crossing  was  needed  to  set  forth  another 
no  less  important — Regeneration.  With  this — their 
baptism — the  old  life  ended  and  the  new  life  began. 
That  crossing  corresponded  to  conversion  or  the  New 
Birth,  of  which  Baptism  now  in  its  form  and  spirit  is 
both  the  symbol  and  the  seal. 

The  Red  Sea  and  Jordan  alike  signify  Baptism,  in 
its  double  meaning  of  Death  and  Resurrection.  Yet 
they  differ  in  this,  that  the  Red  Sea  gives  prominence 
to  the  Death,  and  Jordan  to  the  Resurrection.  The 
one  marked  the  end  of  bondage — the  other  the  en- 
trance upon  true  freedom.  Strictly  speaking,  the  two 
events  have  but  one  Antitype — the  Death  and  Resur- 
rection of  Jesus.  Objectively  they  are  one.  But  sub- 
jectively, in  our  own  death  and  resurrection  with 
Christ,  the  two  events  give  each  experience  its  fitting 
emphasis.  As  one  crossing  took  Israel  out  of  Egypt, 
and  the  other  into  Canaan — so  with  us,  one  separates 
us  from  the  world,  the  other  leads  into  Heavenly 
places.  Again,  this  further  distinction  appears  :  at 
the  Red  Sea  they  were  baptized  unto  Moses  ;  that 
is,  unto  fellowship  with  him  in  that  faith  by  which 
he  had  forsaken  Egypt,  and  unto  following  him.  At 
Jordan  they  were  committed  to  Joshua — precisely  as 
we  follow  the  Law-giver,  while  it  is  the  death  of 
Christ  that  is  mainly  recognized,  and  then  when  we 
see  more  clearly  the  Risen  Lord,  we  follow  the  Life- 


86  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

giver.  The  great  lesson  of  Jordan  is  the  power  of 
Christ's  Resurrection"^  to  separate  us  not  only  from 
Egypt,  but  from  all  wilderness  wanderings,  and  to 
secure  for  us  an  entrance  into  Heavenly  places,  f 

The  significance  of  Jordan  may  appear  more  clear 
from  a  glance  at  its  hallowed  associations.  The  Scrip- 
tures often  use  mere  locality  as  the  link  of  spiritual 
truths.  A  singular  instance  appears  in  the  words, 
*'  Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  my  Son,"  as  applied  to 
the  sojourn    of  the  infant  Jesus  in  that    land — the 


*  "  Arise,  sad  heart,  if  thou  dost  not  withstand, 
Christ's  resurrection,  thine  may  be  : 
Do  not  by  hanging  down  break  from  the  hand, 
Which,  as  it  riseth,  raiseth  thee  : 
Arise,  arise  ; 
And  with  His  burial-Hnen  dry  thine  eyes." 

— George  Herbert. 

t  "  It  is  obvious  to  erery  thoughtful  Christian,  that  a  strong 
link  of  connection  exists  between  the  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea 
and  of  Jordan.  It  is  found  in  the  death  and  resurrection  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  ;  but  there  are  two  effects  sensibly  different  and  of 
real  importance,  that  we  should  distinguish. 

"  Regarded  in  the  type  of  the  Red  Sea,  it  is  simply  setting  us 
apart  to  God  from  the  world,  making  us  pilgrims  while  we  are 
passing  through  it ;  crossing  the  Jordan,  or  the  death  and  resur- 
rection of  Christ,  in  this  point  of  view  does  far  more.  It  is  the 
power  of  that  mighty  work  as  bringing  us  into  the  possession 
of  our  heavenly  blessings  before  we  go  there.  We  are  made 
consciously  of  Heaven  ;  we  have  still  to  fight  before  the  time  is 
come  to  rest.  In  both  cases  it  is  not  that  merely  is  Christ  dead 
and  risen,  but  this  applied  to  us  by  the  %j^\x\\.." —Lectures  fntrch* 
ductory  to  the  Historical  Books,  by  W.  Kelly,  p.  4. 


THE  BOUNDARY  LINE.  g/ 

utter  unlikeness  of  the  otitzvard  events  forcing  us  to 
seek  for  some  more  subtle  accord. 

Around  the  name  of  Jordan  we  find  a  group  of 
events  which  are  in  close  alliance  as  to  their  inward 
character.  Jacob  passed  twice  over  Jordan — once  as 
the  lonely  pilgrim  with  his  staff,  and. again  returning 
with  his  two  bands.  It  was  over  Jordan  that  David 
fled  in  the  darkness  of  the  night  from  Absalom  ;  and 
to  its  banks  he  returned  to  be  brought  over  it  again* 
in  state,  as  king  of  the  very  hearts  of  his  people. 
When  Elijah  was  to  be  taken  from  Elisha,  the  two 
stood  by  Jordan  till  Elijah  with  his  mantle  smote  the 
waters,  and  they  went  over  on  dry  ground;  and  again, 
Elisha  returned  thither  with  a  double  portion  of  his 
master's  spirit  upon  him,  and  himself  smote  the 
waters,  and  passed  safely  through,  as  his  first  miracle. 
In  these  instances,  the  first  crossing  is  in  poverty — 
in  defeat — in  sorrow  ;  and  the  second,  is  in  wealth — 
in  restoration — in  triumph. 

Again,  this  very  crossing  of  Jordan  by  the  Israel- 
ites has  another  event  as  its  companion.  When  Jacob 
was  carried  back  into  Canaan  to  be  buried,  they  went, 
it  is  expressly  noted,  beyond  Jordan  to  the  threshing- 
floor  of  Atad,  lying  between  the  river  and  Jericho.* 
"  There  they  mourned  with  a  great  and  very  sore 
lamentation."  The  head  of  their  nation  was  gone. 
In  the  cave  of  Machpelah  reposed  the  bones  of  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  that  sepulchre  was  their 

*  Gen.  1.  lo. 


38  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

• 
sole  possession  in  the  land  promised  to  each.     The 

nation  turned  back  bereft  to  Egypt,  not  to  come  over 

Jordan  again,  till  multiplied   beyond  measure,  they 

went   into   Canaan  as  their  home.     National   death 

and  national  resurrection  are  signified  in  these  two 

crossings. 

Again,  during  the  baptism  of  John,  Jordan  was  the 
significant  stream  selected.  There  they  "  confessed 
their  sins."  They  virtually  declared  themselves  dead 
in  those  sins  by  submitting  to  a  rite  known  hitherto 
only  to  aliens,  in  their  acceptance  of  Judaism.  Jesus 
could  not  possibly  join  in  this  coiifession  of  sin,  even 
while  by  a  like  baptism  he  identified  himself  with  the 
sinner.  Instead  of  this,  there  was  a  confession  of  His 
righteousness  from  the  opened  heavens — ''  This  is  My 
beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."*  Both 
of  these  meanings  are  accordingly  preserved  in  Chris- 
tian baptism — death  of  self  unto  sin,  and  resurrection 
in  Christ  unto  righteousness. 

Yet  again,  in  these  two  crossings  of  the  Red  Sea 
and  Jordan,  we  may  find  the  coupling  of  the  offices 
of  Christ  and  His  Spirit.  The  first  gives  no  faint 
foreshadowing  of  the  power  of  His  death  and  His 
most  precious  blood.  The  second  has  significance  in 
its  very  name,  ''  The  Descender!'  or  "  flowing  down." 
The  power  of  the  Risen  Lord  was  manifested  chiefly 
in  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  It  was  the  out- 
pouring of  this  gift  that  made  the  marvellous  change 

*  Matt.  iii.  17, 


THE  BOUNDARY  LINE.  89 

in  the  Disciples  of  Jesus,  and  it  is  still  a  distinct  ex- 
perience from  that  of  believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  for 
the  forgiveness  of  sins ;  as  is  clearly  taught,  for  ex- 
ample, in  the  question,  "  Have  ye  received  the  Holy 
Ghost  since  ye  believed?"*  and  again,  in  this  state- 
ment, "  As  yet  He  was  fallen  upon  none  of  them ;  only 
they  were  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  f 
The  close  connection  of  the  two  appears  in  the  charge, 
"  Repent  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and 
ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  if 

Jordan  signifies  to  us  this  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  or  the  power  of  Christ's  resurrection  ;  since 
upon  this  and  His  subsequent  glorification,  the  giv- 
ing of  the  Spirit  depended.  This  Baptism  of  the 
Spirit  means  far  more  than  being  born  of  the  Spirit. 
The  birth  of  Jesus  identified  Him  with  our  human 
nature ;  His  baptism  in  Jordan  identified  him  still 
further  with  our  human  lot  of  sin  and  suffering.  So 
does  our  birth  of  the  Spirit  make  us  partakers  of  His 
divine  nature,  while  the  Baptism  of  the  Spirit  makes 
us  sharers  of  His  righteousness.  His  joy.  His  power. 
It  is  not  merely  life  that  is  bestowed,  but  life  more 
abundantly. 

To  attain  fully  to  all  that  this  resurrection  implies, 
is  the  life-work  of  each  child  of  God— the  "  working 
out  "  of  his  salvation.  As  the  Resurrection  of  Jesus 
ended  in  His  glorification,  so  ours  goes  on  to  the 

*  Acts  xix.  2.  t  Acts  viii.  16.  \  Acts.  ii.  38. 


OO  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

same  goal.  It  can  not  be  completed  till  we  reach 
"  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ ;" 
until  we  reach  this  with  our  entire  being,  even  this 
body  of  ours  becoming  like  unto  His  glorious  body.* 
Therefore,  the  full  appropriation  of  what  Christ  has 
wrought  for  us  must  be  a  continuous  work,  and  the 
Baptism  of  the  Spirit  must  be  a  life-long  baptism, 
coming  not  only  once,  like  the  early  rain,  but  in 
many  a  soft  shower,  and  in  silent  successive  dews  of 
night. 


*  "This  tendency  to  ignore  the  importance  of  the  body,  proceeds 
from  a  general  lack  of  insight  into  the  Scriptural  philosophy  of 
nature  and  of  spirit.  Those  who  do  so  are  entirely  wanting  in 
any  profound  apprehension  of  the  process  of  salvation,  by  which, 
according  to  Scripture,  God  is  carrying  on  the  world  toward  its 
consummation.  This  process  must  extend  to  the  corporeal  world 
as  well  as  to  the  spiritual.  For  the  victory  of  divine  love  over 
all  the  powers  of  sin  and  death  would  not  be  complete,  if  the  body 
of  man  were  not  once  to  be  released  from  the  bonds  of  death, 
and  raised  into  that  glorious  condition  for  which  God  has  orig- 
inally destined  it.  Like  all  other  terrestrial  bodies,  it  is  intended 
one  day  to  be  entirely  penetrated  by  the  spirit — to  be  translated 
into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God,  and  thus  to  be 
transformed  in  light  inwardly  and  outwardly  (Rom.  viii.  21-23  ; 
Phil.  iii.  21  ;  2  Cor.  iv.  10,  etc.)  And  how  otherwise  could  this 
world-renewing  process  be  begun,  than  by  the  resurrection  and 
transformation  of  that  one  Body  over  which  death  had  no  power 
—the  sinless  body  of  Christ,  the  second  Adam,  in  whom  all  are 
to  be  made  alive  ?  (i  Cor.  xv.  22,  et  se.)  In  His  resurrection  "  the 
consummation  of  the  world  is  anticipated."  As  in  the  nether 
world  Christ  broke  the  bonds  of  spiritual  death,  so  in  His  resur- 
rection He  destroyed  the  organic  power  of  death  in  the  earthly 
creation,  and  impregnated  it  (as  an  organism  ;  hence  the  dead 


THE  BOUNDARY  LINE. 


91 


Thus  we  h^ve  the  paradox  of  a  work  that  is  fin- 
ished, and  yet  only  begun  —  of  Christ  having  "per- 
fected us  for  ever,"  and  yet  we  ourselves  "  going  on 
unto  perfection." 

St.  Paul  has  given  us,  in  most  admirable  terms, 
this  distinction  between  God's  side  and  man's  side. 
In  his  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  he  glances  first  at 
this  power  of  Christ's  resurrection  and  the  hope  it 
holds  out  to  him.  In  all  humility  he  declares  that 
he  has  not  attained,  that  he  is  not  already  perfected ; 


bodies  of  the  saints  appear  in  Matt,  xxvii.  52  and  53)  with  new 
and  divine  vital  forces  ;  just  as  in  the  heart  the  life-blood  is  pre- 
pared afresh,  and  from  it  flows  forth  into  all  the  limbs.  The  resur- 
rection-power coming  from  Christ,  through  the  medium  of  His 
Word  and  sacraments,  tends  mainly  to  the  sanctification  and 
renewing  of  the  sinner  (Rom.  v.  10 ;  Eph.  ii.  5,  6  ;  i  Pet.  i.  3), 
and  thus  interpenetrates,  first,  the  spiritual  nature  of  man,  plant- 
ing within  those  who  are  regenerate  a  germ  for  the  resurrection 
of  the  body  (Rom.  viii.  11).  Then  the  spiritual  life  of  Christ 
breaks  forth  in  a  manifestation  in  the  visible  world,  by  revivify- 
ing the  bodies  of  those  who  are  sanctified  (in  the  first  resurrec- 
tion. I  Cor.  XV.  23  ;  John  v.  25-29  ;  Rev.  xx.  5,  6).  In  the  suc- 
ceeding general  resurrection — an  act  of  Christ's  power  which 
extends  to  the  whole  of  the  corporeal  world,  and  introduces  the 
great  mundane  catastrophe  (Rev.  xx.  11-13) — as  well  as  in  the 
formation  of  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  this  grand  and 
gradually  progressive  progress  of  the  world's  renewal  has  its  fit- 
ting consummation.  It  is  God's  will  that  His  glory  should  dwell 
in  His  whole  creation,  that  He  may  be  all  in  all  (i  Cor.  xv.  28  ; 
Rev.  xxi.  3,  et  se.)  In  this  respect  we  must  indorse  the  sentiment 
of  Oetinger,  that  "  corporeity  is  the  end  of  God's  ways." — Mod* 
em  Doubt  and  Christiaft  Belief,  by  Theodore  Christlieb,  D.D,, 
pp.  451,  452. 


Q2  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

but  he  presses  on  to  "  apprehend  "  that  for  which  he 
was  "  apprehended''  of  Christ.  It  was  because  of  the 
fixity  of  the  mighty  work  of  Christ,  and  the  support 
it  gave  to  faith,  that  all  his  energies  were  roused  to 
obtain  the  full  benefit  of  it.  Because  he  is  appre- 
hended, he  will  henceforth  apprehend. 

Yet  is  the  first  apprehension,  the  first  entrance 
upon  this  risen  life,  the  all-important  point,  and  that 
which  Jordan  represents.  You  plant,  for  example,  a 
little  vine.  You  know  its  possibilities  and  provide 
for  them.  You  place  close  to  its  root  the  trellis  upon 
which  it  is  to  climb,  without  which  it  could  only  creep 
upon  the  ground.  In  the  placing  of  that  trellis  with- 
in its  reach,  with  full  provision  for  all  future  growth, 
the  vine  may  be  said  to  be  apprehended.  But  the 
chief  difficulty  is  found  in  the  first  attachment  to  its 
support.  When  the  vine  has  fairly  clasped  it  and 
begun  to  wind  its  tendrils  about  it,  it  has  begun  to 
apprehend.  Its  career  is  before  it,  but  the  crisis  is 
that  beginning. 

It  was  an  immense  advantage  in  leaving  Egypt,  to 
know  it  by  the  sharpest  of  all  boundary  lines.  Had 
jthe  boundary  been  a  valley,  a  hill,  a  rock,  the  fact 
would  have  been  known  ;  but  how  slight  would  have 
been  the  impression  thus  made  upon  the  mind  !  But, 
being  what  it  was,  passing  first  through  the  walled 
waters,  and  watching  then  the  waves  that  over- 
whelmed their  enemies,  an  entire  revolution  in  all 
their  tho  j'ghts  and  purposes  would  naturally  follow. 


THE  BO  UNDA  R  Y  LINE.  93 

That  Sea  was  both  a  boundary  and  a  barrier.  They 
stood  upon  new  ground  with  another  Hfe  before  them. 
And  no  less  was  the  advantage  of  a  distinct  bound- 
ary and  barrier  between  the  wilderness  and  Canaan. 
There  a  host  more  formidable  than  all  Pharaoh's 
horses  and  chariots  were  swallowed  up — even  their 
fsars  and  unbelief— and  as  once  their  hearts  thrilled 
with  the  cry,  ''  Out  of  Egypt !"  so  would  they  thrill 
again  at  the  blessed  certainty,  "  over  this  Jordan !" 

In  how  many  human  events  is  our  interest  concen- 
trated upon  some  one  act  that  clearly  and  openly 
signifies  many  beside  itself.  How  much  meaning  in 
that  one  moment  when  the  crown  is  set  upon  the 
brow  of  a  Monarch  !  Does  He  not  seem  from  that 
time  more  truly  to  reign  ?  How  much  it  means  when 
the  hand  is  set  in  solemn  signature,  in  the  presence 
of  witnesses,  to  that  Title-deed  which  gives  a  Home- 
stead or  forfeits  it !  How  much  it  means  beyond  all 
that  has  already  been— the  marriage-day— the  spoken 
vow— the  ring  upon  the  hand  1  Those  now  wedded 
hearts  were  pledged  long  ago.  They  give  themselves 
to  each  other  at  this  moment  not  more  fully  than  then. 
But  God  and  man  alike  ordain  that  such  an  event 
should  be  signalized,  that  there  should  be  somewhat 
to  mark  it  for  the  eye  and  ear  of  others.  What  emo- 
tions stir  the  soul  even  of  a  spectator  in  such  a  scene  ! 
By  all  these  tokens  it  becomes  a  reality  that  is  recog- 
nized. 

And  so  in  countless  things  the  new  future  demands 


gA  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

its  turning  point.  Did  not  Caesar  feel  it  when  he 
crossed  his  Rubicon  ?  Was  not  every  man  in  that 
army  stronger  for  that  act  ?  Jordan  is  the  Christian's 
Rubicon  ;  and  is  it  not  well  when  the  Lord  calls  to 
us  with  a  voice  of  command  so  distinct  as  this, 
**  Arise,  and  go  over  this  Jordan  !  "  And  were  these 
glorious  privileges  in  Christ  Jesus  pointed  out  long 
and  lovingly — were  they  spoken  of  line  upon  line, 
till  dull  hearts  caught  the  meaning,  what  an  arising 
would  there  be  through  all  the  slumbering  hosts 
of  Christendom  ! 

We  have  on  record  the  lives  of  not  a  few  noble 
men  and  women  who,  years  after  their  conversion, 
heard  this  new  call  to  arise  and  go  further  on.  They 
passed  through  a  distinct  spiritual  crisis,  and  stood 
henceforth  on  new  ground.  They  were  full  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  Here  and  there  through  that  region  of 
Christian  biography  resounding  with  secret  moans  of 
^*  Wo  is  me  !  "  we  find  those  who  have  walked  almost 
like  Enoch,  in  wondrous  fellowship  with  God.  And 
yet  in  their  own  statements  of  truth  there  is  often  a 
vagueness.  The  silver  trumpet  does  not  give  a  cer- 
tain sound.  They  had  not  really  come  unto  all 
riches  of  '^  the  full  assurance  of  under st abiding  f'  and 
so,  while  in  their  own  experience  they  had  far  out- 
stripped their  comrades,  they  knew  not  how  to  give 
the  clew  to  others  to  follow  them,  as  they  had  fol- 
lowed Christ.  Their  teaching  lacked  that  great  essen- 
tial of  definiteness. 


THE  BOUNDARY  LINE. 


95 


There  are  always  to  be  found,  however,  those 
whom  indefiniteness  suits.  The  vague  teaching 
shelters  their  want  of  full  devotion  to  God.  They 
carefully  avoid  a  crisis.  They  are  not  whole-hearted 
enough  to  be  decided.  They  do  not  want  to  face 
the  question.  Do  I  from  this  day  follow  the  Lord 
fully  ?  Am  I  ready  to  be  made  conformable  unto 
His  death,  that  I  may  know  the  power  of  His  resur- 
rection ?  Am  I  willing  that  God's  Holy  Spirit  should 
baptize  my  whole  being — spirit,  soul,  and  body,  so 
sanctifying  me,  and  keeping  me  blameless  unto  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  ?  Such  questions  search  the 
heart  down  to  its  hidden  thoughts  and  intents.  It 
requires  the  truest  faith  to  die  with  Jesus,  and  to  live 
only  in  Him.  But  such  thoughts  can  only  irritate 
those  whose  policy  it  is  to  evade  conviction  of  their 
true  state.  And  even  where  it  only  results  in  hesi- 
tation, yet  what  terrible  quicksands  of  unbelief  even 
this  discloses.  No,  they  do  not  care  to  give  over  the 
whole  being  to  God  !  They  desire  to  keep  to  them- 
selves the  control  and  choice  of  many  little  things, 
for  God  might  not  always  care  for  their  pleasure,  nor 
secure  the  interests  they  most  prize ! 

Poor  soul !  that  art  weighed  in  such  a  balance 
and  found  wanting,  look  yet  again  that  thou  mayest 
see.  The  first  step  out  of  every  difficulty  is  the  re- 
moval of  our  misapprehensions  of  God.  Listen  to  the 
voice  that  pleads  with  thee,  and  even  through  the 
Law  declares  of  every  dealing  with  thee — ''for  thy 


p6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

good  ahvays.''  He  loveth  thee  !  He  delighteth  in 
thee  !  Look  and  Hsten  till  thou  canst  trust  Him 
fully,  and  lay  thy  all  before  Him  ! 

But  how  many,  are  there  of  quite  another  class — 
souls  earnest  and  eager  to  be  taught  of  God — who 
have  been  hindered  by  the  erroneous  teaching  of  the 
very  truth  they  need  !  Important  as  it  is  to  put  a 
clear  boundary  line  between  our  failure  and  our  faith 
and  to  cross  over  this  Jordan,  yet  it  is  a  most  serious 
mistake  to  overload  this  experience  with  a  stress  it 
can  not  bear.  Very  plainly,  in  the  case  of  the  Israel- 
ites, to  cross  the  Jordan  was  not  to  conquer  all  their 
enemies  in  the  act.  It  was  to  prepare  them  for  vic- 
tory ;  it  was  to  pledge  it  to  them  ;  and  yet  it  could 
only  be  the  earnest  of  their  inheritance.  Nor  was  it 
in  the  fullest  sense  possession,  since,  as  has  been  said, 
it  was  only  the  soles  of  their  feet  that  could  secure 
that.  The  land  was  theirs  by  promise  before.  It 
was  theirs  now  by  the  first  putting  in  of  an  actual 
claim.  Hereafter  it  should  be  more  fully  theirs  as 
they  advanced  and  conquered  and  held  it. 

This  subject  will  claim  a  fuller  handling  when  we 
reach  the  long  warfare  that  followed  their  entrance ; 
but  here  let  it  be  simply  premised  that  the  system 
which  teaches  that  entire  sanctification  is  an  instan- 
taneous work,  has  the  feeblest  possible  support  from 
Scripture,  either  as  to  the  doctrine  or  the  phraseol- 
ogy. Experimentally,  the  results  of  such  teaching, 
however  flattering  for  a  time,  are  finally  most  disas- 


THE  BOUNDARY  LINE, 


97 


trous.  The  poor  soul,  once  beguiled  into  self-decep- 
tion and  the  assertion  of  claims  which  can  not  be 
soberly  sustained,  is  either  pushed  on  the  one  hand 
up  the  heights  of  presumption,  or  else  is  driven  back 
on  the  other  to  drop  into  the  depths  of  despair.  No 
close  observer  can  doubt  that  such  has  been  the  gene-*, 
ral  tendency  of  this  teaching,  while  happy  exceptions 
may  be  seen,  where  there  has  been  such  a  private  ad- 
justment of  its  terms  as  virtually  to  change  the  doc- 
trine. Beside  this,  the  love  of  God  really  shed  abroad 
in  the  heart,  has  a  wonderful  power  to  render  error 
innocuous.  But  taking  the  system  in  its  legitimate 
results,  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  eventual  loss  is 
sustained  by  its  supporters.  The  testimony  which  it 
encourages  has  a  singular  tendency  to  recur  to  past 
experiences,  or  if  touching  upon  the  present  state, 
to  claim  little  more  than  the  conservation  of  former 
blessings.  Meanwhile,  the  importance  attached  to 
such  testimony  repels  those  who,  like  an  apostle,  de- 
sire to  know  not  the  speech  of  them  that  are  puffed 
up,  but  the  power  ! 

It  seems  the  more  needful  in  all  Christian  charity 
to  allude  to  these  errors,  from  the  fact  that,  with  few 
exceptions,  this  has  been  the  prevalent  mode  in. 
which  the  doctrine  of  Holiness  or  Sanctification  has 
been  presented  as  a  specialty.  Ai  the  same  time 
such  a  monopoly  of  the  subject  has  been  claimed,  as 
to  insist  that  it  was  the  only  correct  mode — so  chal- 
lenging the  assent  of  those  who  could  heartily  sym- 
S 


98 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


pathize  with  its  object.  The  unhappy  result  in  the 
case  of  many  who  recoil  from  these  assumptions  in 
doctrine,  linked  with  such  inconsistencies  in  life,  is 
that  they  do  so,  as  though  released  from  all  further 
inquiry  upon  the  subject.  They  begin  to  waste  their 
strength  upon  controversy,  and  are  more  eager  to 
point  out  the  logical  inaccuracy  of  the  system,  than 
to  find  a  true  remedy  for  their  own  shortcomings. 
It  is  a  dark  day  for  those  who  begin  finally  to  justify 
themselves  for  the  beam  in  their  own  eye,  because 
they  have  found  a  mote  in  the  eye  of  a  brother. 
When  the  great  beam  of  an  unconsecrated  life  is 
taken  from  their  own  eyes,  it  may  be  that  God  will 
give  them  the  grace,  not  to  point  out,  but  to  pluck  out, 
the  mote  of  misapprehension  from  their  brother's  eye. 

As  for  the  many  thousands  who  desire  to  follow 
the  Lord  fully,  whether  among  the  satisfied  sustainers 
of  such  a  system,  or  those  who  are  perplexed  and 
hindered  by  it,  or  those  who,  ignorant  of  this,  yet 
know  right  well  the  need  of  their  lives — as  for  the 
multitude  thus  seeking  after  God,  may  He  make  His 
own  Word  a  lamp  unto  their  feet  and  a  light  unto 
their  path. 

Any  failure  which  exists  in  the  lives  of  such,  pass- 
ing by  all  secondary  causes,  has  its  real  origin  in 
unbelief.  Like  Israel  of  old,  losing  sight  of  God  to 
see  only  self  and  the  giant  enemies,  the  one  pressing 
need  is  to  have  the  eye  refixed  on  Christ  in  a  true 
apprehension  of  Him  as  our  Risen  Lord — a  work 


THE  BO  UNDA R  V  LI NE.  gg 

which  only  the  Spirit  of  God  can  accomplish  for  us. 
A  right  relation  to  Christ  must  precede  our  growing 
up  into  Him  in  all  things.  Happy  that  moment  when 
the  eye  sees  Him  ! 

And  how  often  is  it  the  work  of  a  moment  at  last. 
The  sunrise  may  have  been  long  heralded  by  steady 
increase  of  light,  and  yet  it  is  in  a  flash  that  you  see 
the  golden  orb  itself.  And  when  once  the  eye  long 
occupied  with  self,  whether  in  seeking  its  pleasure  or 
proving  its  weakness,  is  lifted  at  last  to  see  Jesus  as 
the  Prince  and  Perfecter  of  Faith— when  it  sees  that 
it  is  Christ  that  it  wants,  and  that  this  Christ  is  wait- 
ing for  us,  having  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth,  it 
has  had  its  vision— it  has  had  its  call,  "  Arise,  and  go 
over  Jordan  !"  Seeing  Christ  arise,  and  give  thyself 
fully  to  Him,  to  receive  His  fulness,  and  henceforth 
go  on  to  apprehend  that  for  which  thou  art  now 
apprehended. 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE    TRIPLE    PREPAkATION. 

I.  — COURAGE. 

<<'nE   STRONG  AND   OF  A   GOOD  COURAGE;   BE  NOT 
13    AFRAID,    NEITHER    BE    THOU    DISMAYED  :    FOR 

THE  Lord  thy  God  is  with   thee  whitherso- 
ever  THOU   GOEST." — {Josh.  i.  9). 

The  first  element  of  success  in  this  vast  undertak- 
ing of  obtaining  the  Land  of  Promise  was  Courage. 
Hitherto  the  people  had  not  set  their  heart  aright, 
and  fearing  had  failed.  A  new  attitude  of  heart  must, 
therefore,  be  assumed.  The  Hebrew  words  which  are 
so  often  repeated  fix  very  clearly  the  special  character 
of  this  courage,  "  Be  strong  and^r;;^."*  This  mean- 
ing is  brought  out  very  distinctly  in  our  own  version  of 
the  words  of  Isaiah,  "  Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands, 


*  Joshua  i.  6,  y^pij^T  pTri'  "  Verbum  p^n  proprie  notat  vires 

quae  sunt  zn  manibus  ad  prehendendum  retinendum  que  viriliter  ; 
sicut  contra  "^^y^  firmitudinem,  quae  in  genibus  est,  ad  con- 
sistendum,  ne  ab  alio  quis  evertatur.'' — Michaelis. 

"Joshua  must  lay  hold  boldly  and  with  a  strong  hand,  and 
then  when  he  has  done  so,  allow  nothing  to  drive  him  from  bis 
position." — Langes  Com. 
(100) 


THE    TRIPLE  PREPARATION.  \q\ 

and  confirm  the  feeble  knees y  *  To  be  strong  signifies 
that  the  hands  were  fitted  to  take  sure  hold  of  the 
land  ;  to  be  firm,  that  the  feet  should  be  so  planted 
that  they  could  not  be  dislodged.  Again,  this  mean- 
ing appears  very  literally  in  the  charge  addressed  to 
the  saints  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  "  Wherefore 
lift  up  the  hands  which  hang  down,  and  the  feeble 
knees;  and  make  straight  paths  for  your  feet."t 

But  how  is  it  that  such  courage  is  commanded? 
And  being  commanded,  who  can  possibly  create  it  in 
his  heart  ?  The  command  was  based  upon  an  assur- 
ance— "  I  will  be  with  thee  ;  I  will  not  fail  thee  nor 
forsake  thee.  Be  strong  and  firm."t  This  strength 
was  to  come,  therefore,  from  believing  in  the  presence 
and  power  of  God.  The  courage  was  to  be  the  cour- 
age of  Faith.  The  fear  which  had  been  so  disastrous 
to  them  was  the  result  of  looking  away  from  God, 
and  forgetting  Him  ;  and  so  the  courage  could  only 
result  from  again  looking  unto  Him,  and  ever  remem- 
bering Him.  The  revelation  of  a  personal,  present, 
and  all-powerful  God,  is  given  as  the  basis  of  their 
faith  and  its  consequent  courage. 

Further,  it  was  to  be  sustained  by  meditation  upon 
the  Word  of  God ;  as  we  find  in  close  connection  the 
charge,  ''  This  book  of  the  law  shall  not  depart  out 
of  thy  mouth ;  but  thou  shalt  meditate  therein  day 
and  night."  Deep  and  quiet  thought  which  revolves 
day  by  day  the  thoughts  of  God,  feeds  the  strength 

*  Is.  XXXV.  3.  t  Heb.  xii.  12,  13.  X  Josh.  i.  5,  6. 


I02  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

of  faith.  We  are  assured  in  the  first  Psalm,  that  to 
"  delight  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,"  and  to  "  meditate 
in  it  day  and  night,"  is  the  secret  of  constant  growth 
and  fruitfulness.  For  faith  comes  by  hearing,  and 
hearing  by  the  Word  of  God.  And  so  it  is  the  ''zvord 
of  faith''  which  is  presented.  Apart  from  some  such 
revelation  of  God  there  could  be  no  faith.  Along 
with  that  word  proceeding  out  of  the  mouth  of  God, 
there  ever  flows  a  vital  effluence  of  the  Spirit,  by 
which  the  soul  that  receives  it  is  enlightened  and 
strengthened.  And  so  believing,  it  also  obeys.  It 
'*  observes  to  do  "  according  to  this  revelation  of  the 
mind  of  God.  And  so  brought  into  harmony  with 
Him,  it  prospers  and  has  good  success. 

And  thus  there  comes  at  last  a  holy  confidence  in 
God,  that  seeing  Him  always,  cannot  be  afraid — as 
when  in  this  brief  charge  to  Joshua,  we  find  for  the 
third  time  the  words,  "  Be  strong,  be  firm ;"  it  is 
added,  "  For  the  Lord  thy  God  is  with  thee  whither- 
soever thou  goest."  No  minute  direction,  no  specific 
precept  whatever,  could  at  all  compare  in  importance 
with  this  fundamental  charge.  Nothing  must  distract 
the  servant  of  God  in  the  clear  reception  of  this  one 
grand  truth :  God  is  with  thee ;  therefore  be  strong, 
be  firm.  Take  hold  of  His  promises,  and  keep  that 
hold. 

It  was  thus  that  the  Lord  Jesus  provided  for  the 
faith  and  courage  of  His  disciples  in  the  great  work 
He  gave  them  in  the  world  :  "  Lo  I  am  with  you  all 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARATION.  103 

the  days,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  "-  Fear 
not,"  is  the  gracious  charge  He  is  ever  giving  as  He 
more  and  more  reveals  Himself.* 

And  what  need  is  there  still  of  this  charge  !  The 
experience  of  ages  has  not  taken  away  our  weakness  ; 
and  the  fears  and  the  waverings  of  many  a  Christian — 
the  weak  hands  and  feeble  knees— are  even  now  piti- 
able to  consider.  Until  this  element  is  eliminated, 
Christian  heroism  is  an  impossibility,  as  is,  indeed, 
anything  noble  in  character  or  service.  Nothing  so 
demoralizes  the  forces  of  the  soul  as  fear.  But  if  we 
ansv/er  the  question   of  our  Lord,  ''  Why  are  ye  so 

=^  Stier  upon  Acts  xviii.  9,  thus  sums  up  the  occasions  of  its 
use  :  "  Fear  not  but  speak,  and  keep  not  silence  !  Still  coming 
first  the  same  word  of  encouraging  grace— so  needful  to  us  poor 
children  of  men — which  runs  through  the  whole  of  Scripture 
from  beginning  to  end,  Fear  not !  Simron  Peter  heard  it  from 
the  lips  of  the  Lord  Jesus  when  his  call  to  be  a  fisher  of  men  was 
repeated,  Luke  v.  10;  Abraham  received  it  first  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, Gen.  XV.  i,— after  a  victor)-,  too,  like  St.  Paul'here  ;  for 
father  Adam  first  of  all  confessed  in  behalf  of  us  all— I  was 
afraid  !  The  Lord  and  His  angels  often  say  it  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. The  New  begins  with  it  to  Zacharias,  Mar)%  Joseph,  the 
Shepherds.  The  Lord  often  utters  it  during  His  earthly  life, 
down  to  John  xiv.  i  :  the  angels  at  the  sepulchre  of  the  risen 
Jesus  give  it  new  strength.  The  ascended  and  glorified  Re- 
deemer inspires  vigor  into  the  soul  of  S^  John  at  Patmos  by  the 
same  word,  Fear  not!  Rev.  i.  17.  How  needful  is  this  word  to 
His  Disciples  everywhere  and  in  all  ages ;  and  how  ready  He 
ever  is  to  utter  it  to  them  ! 

"  It  is  the  abiding  word  oi  the  Divine  majesty  and  mercy  for 
human  poverty,  weakness,  and  guilt." — The  Words  of  the  Risen 
Savuur,  by  Rudolf  Stier,  p.  72. 


104  ^-^^  FULNESS  OF  FLESSnVG. 

fearful  ?"  we  can  give  no  reason  save  the  absence  of 
that  faith  that  is  ever  looking  unto  Jesus.  Nothing 
fosters  fear  like  solitude ;  and  nothing  is  more  quick 
to  catch  contagion  from  evil  converse.  Only  as  we 
recognize  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  does  fear  give 
place  to  faith — a  faith  that  is  communicated  by  Him. 
The  child  that  in  the  hour  of  danger  has  been  always 
by  his  father's  side,  and  has  never  seen  him  flinch, 
receives  his  courage  from  him.  As  we  dwell  con- 
sciously in  the  presence  of  God,  as  our  thought  is 
ever  of  His  Love  and  Power,  our  souls,  despite  all 
their  natural  fears,  will  uprise  in  their  strength.  We 
can  say  calmly  in  the  midst  of  darkness  and  tumult, 
"  The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation  ;  whom  shall 
I  fear  ?  The  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life,  of  whom 
shall  I  be  afraid  ?" 

Such  simple,  childlike  faith  in  God  has  made  more 
heroic  souls  upon  this  earth  than  the  stoic  could  ever 
dream.  Not  through  the  long  training  of  the  iron 
nerve,  but  by  the  trusting  glance  at  the  risen  Lord, 
have  the  tender  woman  and  the  timid  child  been 
strong  and  firm,  in  the  midst  of  peril  and  of  terrible 
torture.  They  "  endured  as  seeing  Him  who  is  invisi- 
ble." Would  that  all  could  be  persuaded  that  it  is  not 
a  question  of  nature,  but  of  grace ;  not  of  temperament ^ 
but  of  trust.  What  an  instance  of  this  is  found  in  the 
lives  of  these  three  men  —  Peter,  Nicodemus,  and 
Joseph  of  Arimathea.  Studying  the  natural  charac- 
teristics of  Peter,  any  of  us  would  have  trusted  his 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARATION.  jq- 

courage  before  its  failure ;  and  by  all  their  antecedents 
we  would  look  for  anything  but  heroic  discipleship 
from  the  other  two.  We  see  Peter  ever  ready  to  do  and 
dare  ;  Nicodemus  stealing  stealthily  by  night  to  Jesus ; 
Joseph  full  of  fear  of  the  Jews.     So  stand  the  three 
by  nature.     But  look  at  them  again,  when  Grace  has 
outstripped  nature.     Peter,  lying  and  cursing  for  fear 
of  a  maid-servant ;    Joseph,  going  boldly  to  Pilate  to 
beg  the  body  of  Jesus ;  and  Nicodemus,  in  the  full 
daylight,  staggering  beneath  his  hundred  pounds  of 
spices,  to  the  tomb  of  the  Teacher,  sent  from  God— 
these  two  out  of  weakness  made  strong,  even  as  the 
other  shall  be,  when  he  has  learned  his  own  weakness. 
Timid  soldier  of  Christ,  called   to  pass  over  this 
Jordan  and  possess  the  good  land  and  large— -listen 
to  the  first   charge   of  all,  "  Be  strong !    be   firm  !" 
And  to  win  this  holy  courage,  look  unto  Jesus.    Never 
look  downward  to  thy  fear— never  around  to  thy  foes 
— look  solely  unto  Jesus  ! 

And  looking  thus,  meditate  also  upon  His  law,  re- 
membering that  this  holy  law  is  now  a  gospel,  and 
that  we  are  to  observe  to  do  according  to  all  that  is 
written  therein — not  only  according  to  all  its  precepts, 
but  also  according  to  all  its  promises,  all  its  privi- 
leges. 

If  ever  your  hands  grow  weak,  and   your  knees 

feeble,  it  is  because  you  see  too  little  ;  because,  like 

Elisha's  servant,  you  see  only  the  hosts  and  chariots 

of  the  enemy  close  around.   Therefore  you  ask, "  Alas  \ 

5* 


Io6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSIi^G, 

how  shall  we  do  ?"  The  Lord  open  your  eyes,  that 
you  may  look  further,  and  see  the  mountains  beyond, 
full  of  the  hosts  of  God  encamping  round  about  you  ! 

It  was  to  Joshua,  that  this  charge  to  be  firm  and 
strong  was  given  primarily.  His  own  exhibition  of 
these  qualities  was  to  inspire  the  people.  The  Lord 
Jesus  was  the  living  embodiment  of. this  holy  cour- 
age. We  see  Him  strong  to  endure  the  cross,  firm 
to  despise  the  shame.  We  see  Him  taking  the  straight 
path  toward  that  joy  which  was  set  before  Him,  and 
we  know  that  He  will  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged  till 
He  has  set  judgment  in  the  earth.  As  we  watch 
Him  thus — Prince  and  Perfecter  of  Faith — how  our 
weak  hands  grow  strong  and  our  feeble  knees  firm. 

This  thrice  repeated  charge  to  Joshua  had  been 
already  given  thrice  before.  We  find  it  in  the  last 
words  of  Moses,  addressed  first  to  the  people  at 
large,  and  then  twice  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel  to 
Joshua,  so  that  six  times  in  all,  the  chosen  Leader 
heard  the  words  of  God — ''  Be  strong,  be  finny  We 
also  need  their  repetition.  Not  all  at  once  are  such 
qualities  established  in  the  soul.  How  often  the 
Lord  finds  us,  like  Daniel,  with  710  strength  in  us. 
He  lifts  us  first,  from  that  utter  prostration  to  our 
knees.  Again,  at  His  words  of  command  and  cheer 
we  stand  trembling.  But  He  does  not  leave  us  until 
once  more,  with  all  the  similitude  and  sympathy  of 
one  of  the  sons  of  men,  he  touches  us,  saying,  "  O 
greatly  beloved,  fear  not ;  be  strong,  yea,  be  strong  !" 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARATION. 


107 


And  when  He  has  so  spoken  unto  us  we  are  strength- 
ened ;  for  "  our  God  hath  commanded  our  strength^ 

How  exquisite  the  tenderness  that  breathes  through 
these  commands  of  Jesus :  *^  Son,  take  courage  !" 
'■''  Daughter,  take  courage  !"  ''  Take  courage,  doubt- 
ing disciples,  //  is  //"  *  Thus,  by  His  own  presence 
and  power,  He  inspires  us  with  that  which  we  shall 
need  all  our  life  long — a  high  resolve,  an  undaunted 
spirit,  an  intrepid  bravery — and  coupled  with  these, 
steadiness,  constancy,  and  endurance.  By  all  our 
growth  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ  will  these  heroic 
virtues  be  sure  to  grow.  ''  Be,"  then,  "  of  good  cour- 
age, and  He  shall  strengthen  your  heart,  all  ye  that 
hope   in  the  Lord." 

II.— CONSECRATION. 

The  second  element  of  success  is  thus  indicated  : 
"  Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  '  Sanctify  your- 
selves, FOR  TO-MORROW  THE  LORD  WILL  DO  WON- 
DERS AMONG  YOU.'  "  Elsewhere  in  similar  commands, 
we  find  acts  of  purification  and  abstinence  enjoined. 
The  word  itself  means  simply  bodily  purity ;  and  as 
washing  was  the  preparation  for  each  religious  serv- 
ice, the  term  came  to  signify  to  set  apart ;  and  as  so 
used,  is  rendered  in  our  Bibles  ''  to  consecrate,"  or 
'■'■  sanctify ;  "  so  that  the  charge  now  given  to  the  people 
was  virtually  this,  "■  Set  yourselves  apart  to  God" — 
Yield   yourselves  to    Him — Put    yourselves  in  that 


*  Cf.  Matt.  ix.  2,  Matt.  ix.  22  and  Matt.  xiv.  27. 


I08  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

attitude  in  which  He  can  with  perfect  readiness  take 
you  up. — Draw  nigh  unto  God,  for  He  is  drawing 
nigh  unto  you. 

The  context  of  this  command,  which  gives  such 
prominence  'to  the  wonders  which  God  will  do,  is  a 
happy  correction  of  a  very  common  notion  respect- 
ing consecration,  as  though  it  were  some  great  giving 
to  God  by  us,  some  surrender  or  sacrifice  of  what  we 
previously  held  ;  in  fact,  a  sort  of  favor  conferred 
upon  Him,  whereas  it  is  only  the  readiness  to  receive 
from  Him.  Consecration  is  not  a  meritorious  work 
of  our  own,  but  a  willingness  to  let  the  Lord  work 
His  wonders  upon  us.  It  simply  means  a  ready  re- 
cipiency. 

Yet  even  this  recipiency  may  involve  surrender  in 
a  subordinate  way,  as  it  evidently  did  in  the  case  of 
the  Israelites.  They  could  not  possibly  receive  Ca- 
naan, without  giving  up  the  wilderness.  That  com- 
mand, therefore,  ''  Sanctify  yourselves,"  was  a  call  to 
heart-searching.  It  pressed  home  to  all  their  thoughts 
this  recognition,  "  We  are  the  Lord's."  It  could  not 
long  remain  a  matter  of  doubt  with  any,  whether 
they  stood  ready  for  God  to  lead  them  over  Jordan 
or  not.  The  command  given  them  was  completely 
overshadowed  by  the  promise  that  followed,  and  yet 
it  was  the  Promise  itself  that  tested  and  tried  the 
very  intents  of  their  hearts. 

It  continues  to  be  a  part  of  the  manifold  wisdom 
of  God  to  furnish  such    tests,  even  in  providing  our 


THE  TRIPLE  PREPARA  TIO.V.  iqq 

richest  blessings.  He  who  becomes  a  man  must  put 
away  his  childish  things.  The  lingering  child-nature 
struggles  and  shrinks  from  the  sacrifice,  but  the  spirit 
of  the  strong  man  uprising,  spares  not  the  old  treas- 
ures as  he  reaches  on  to  the  new.  God  can  not  fill 
our  hands  with  His  great  and  good  gifts  till  we  drop 
the  baubles  they  have  held.  And  so  in  every  on- 
ward step,  calling  us  to  some  surrender,  to  some  sac- 
rifice. He  clears  away  the  superficial  wrappings  of  our 
nature  to  learn  what  soundness  exists  beneath.  Je- 
sus Himself  is  even  to  be  a  sign  spoken  against,  that 
so  the  thoughts  of  many  hearts  may  be  revealed. 
How  often,  when  on  earth,  did  He  disclose  to  them- 
selves, the  true  nature  of  many  a  half-hearted  follower, 
by  some  sharp  requisition  ;  or,  in  the  same  manner, 
call  out  the  deepest  faith  of  those  who  left  all  and 
followed  Him  !  We  may  well  thank  Him  for  every- 
thing in  the  discipline  of  Hfe,  or  in  the  secret  conflicts 
of  our  own  hearts,  that  gives  us  this  knowledge  of  our- 
selves, and  brings  us  to  the  solemn  decision  whom 
we  will  choose. 

The  time  which  is  fixed  for  the  blessing  of  God, 
follows  close  upon  the  preparation — ^'  Sanctify  your- 
selves, for  to-morroiv  the  Lord  will  do  wonders  amone 
you."  It  is  always  thus.  It  is  we  ourselves  who  set 
the  times  in  which  our  God  shall  bless  us  ;  for  what- 
ever day  it  be  in  all  our  life,  that  we  take  for  our  con- 
secration to  Him,  He  will  take  the  morrow  for  His 
wonders.     There  is  no  real  delay  with  God,  beyond 


I  JO  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

that  which  we  occasion.  There  may  be  seeming  de- 
lay, for  often  He  works  in  secret,  and  mysteriously  ; 
but  He  always  works,  and  that  wondrously,  so  soon 
as  we  are  set  apart  to  Him — even  as  from  the  first 
day  that  Daniel  set  his  heart  to  understand,  and  to 
chasten  himself,  the  Lord  Himself  came  forth  to 
answer  him. 

Yet  precisely  here,  what  misapprehension  is  there 
of  His  ways  !  Men  fancy  that  they  are  all  ready — 
even  eager  for  blessing — and  they  marvel  why  God 
delays.  He  does  not  delay.  If  we  have,  indeed, 
consecrated  ourselves.  He  has  already  begun  His 
work ;  not  where  we,  perhaps,  desired  it,  nor  in  a 
way  we  looked  for,  but  in  the  surest  way.  When  the 
great  Builder  declares  His  work  begun,  we  look  at 
once  for  the  imposing  structure — and  what  if  we  see 
only  an  excavation  !  By  seeming  delay,  then,  as 
well  as  by  tests  of  service  and  of  sacrifice,  He 
searches  our  hearts,  and  reveals  our  thoughts  to 
ourselves,  as  He  already  beholds  them.  And  if  still 
we  see  not  the  wonders  which  were  promised  us, 
shall  we  not  at  least  hear  a  voice  saying,  "  Art  thou, 
then,  truly  consecrated  ?  Art  thou  ready  for  God  to 
work  ?  Is  there  nowhere  any  holding  back  ?  Is 
there  no  sparing  of  self? — no  secret  stipulation?  — 
no  subtle  ambition? — no  love  of  reputation? — no 
unhallowed  affection  ?"  And  He  who  so  searches  us 
will   hold  us  waiting,  until  we  are  ready  to  look  and 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARATION.  m 

see  as  He  sees,  and  are  really  willing  to  give  up  our 
all  to  God. 

Such  is  the  position,  doubtless,  of  not  a  few  who 
are  even  perplexed  by  their  failure  to  go  further. 
They  are  earnest  souls  even,  that  have  pressed  on 
beyond  their  comrades ;  souls  that  have  gone  far 
enough  to  see  what  there  is  for  them  over  this  Jor- 
dan. They  are  servants  of  the  Master,  and  they 
have  wrought  in  His  field  unweariedly.  But  they 
long  for  richer  results.  They  want  these  ideal  pos- 
sibilities of  the  Gospel  realized.  They  desire  to  see 
one  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  Man — to  exult  in  some 
new  Pentecost.  But  no  morrow  with  its  wonders 
dawns  for  them.  And  standing  thus  upon  the  very- 
verge  of  blessing,  they  ask,  as  they  suppose,  in  all 
sincerity,  ''  What  doth  hinder  me  ?"  — and  as  they  see 
nothing  lacking  in  their  consecration,  they  are  dis- 
posed to  be  faithless  as  to  God's  fulfilment  of  His 
promise.  Alas  !  for  the  long,  weary  waiting  of  those 
who  thus  begin  to  question  God's  ways,  instead  of 
their  own  hearts  !  He  will  surely  be  silent  unto 
them,  until  they  heed  what  He  has  already  spoken — 
"  Sanctify  yourselves — set  yourselves  apart!' 

They  who  are  thus  turned  back  from  marvelling 
over  the  mysterious  delays  of  God,  to  suspect  rather 
their  own  sincerity,  will  soon  learn  that  consecration 
implies  no  hollow,  hasty  work.  They  become  aware 
that  only  Faith  can  do  it — that  even  as  the  only  true 


I  1 2  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

courage  was  the  courage  of  Faith,  so  the  only  true 
consecration  is  the  consecration  of  Faith.  Even  this 
is  to  be  one  of  the  works  of  God — "  Thy  people  shall 
be  willing  in  the  day  of  Thy  power."  No  more  mis- 
taken counsel  can  be  given  to  a  soul  which  is  con- 
scious that  it  is  not  wholly  consecrated,  than  that  so 
often  heard —  '  This  is  your  part  of  the  work.  Your 
will  must  put  forth  all  its  power,  and  solemnly  re- 
solve that  it  will  dedicate  itself  to  God.'  He  who 
has  learned  the  extent  of  his  infirmity  will  answer, 
'You  bid  me  do  the  most  difficult  task  of  all  myself. 
Precisely  here  is  my  perplexity  —  that  I  can  not  feel 
sure  that  my  whole  will  is  honest  in  this  surrender, 
and  that  I  draw  nigh  with  a  true  heart.  My  very  de- 
sire to  do  it  may  still  be  selfish  ;  and  that  disinclina- 
tion which  I  discover,  being  a  part  of  my  will,  holds 
me  helpless.  I  find  that  I  have  neither  full  knowl- 
edge of  myself,  nor  full  mastery  of  myself.  It  is  my 
will  itself  that  is  perverse,  and  treacherous,  and  un- 
stable ;  and  how  can  it  possibly  furnish  the  power 
that  shall  force  it  into  rectitude  ? '  * 


*  The  searching  and  sententious  lines  of  Herbert's  "  Hold- 
fast," will  naturally  recur  to  the  reader  : 

"  I  threatened  to  observe  the  strict  decree 

Of  my  dear  God  with  all  my  power  and  might  : 
But  I  was  told  by  one,  it  could  not  be  ; 

Yet  I  might  trust  in  God  to  be  my  light. 
Then  will  I  trust,  said  I,  in  Him  alone. 

Nay,  even  to  trust  in  Him,  was  also  Hii : 
We  must  confess  that  nothing  is  our  own. 

Then  I  confess  that  He  my  succour  is. 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARATION,  n^ 

Consecration,  be  it  repeated,  therefore,  can  only  be 
the  work  of  Faith.  As  Faith  first  encouraged  itself 
in  the  Lord  by  looking  unto  Him,  so  now  Faith 
yields  to  this  mighty  attraction  which  draws  the 
soul  to  God.  His  sovereign  will  alone  can  restore 
to  unity  and  simplicity,  the  complexity  and  strife  of 
our  being.  The  kingdom  of  the  heart  has  been  the 
prey  of  each  new  Usurper.  Only  the  Spirit  of  God 
can  put  them  all  down,  and  set  us  up  as  kings  unto 
Him.  Swayed  hither  and  thither  by  both  human 
and  supernatural  influences,  there  can  be  no  stability 
till  Faith  elects  the  Spirit  of  God  as  the  Sole  Pos- 
sessor. 

Ask,  then,  ye  who  are  seeking  to  consecrate  your- 
selves to  Christ — ask  for  His  fuller  revelation.  "  Look, 
ye  blind,  that  ye  may  see." — He  looketh  upon  you. 
Listen,  ye  deaf,  that  ye  may  hear,  for  to  you  He 
speaketh.  Look  and  listen  until  your  Faith  grows 
into  Love,  until  you  see  in  Him,  One  who  is  worthy 
of  all  confidence,  and  the  powerful  attractions  of 
whose  nature  so  tell  upon  your  yielding  soul,  that 
you  can  not  possibly  hold  back  anything,  or  allow 
the  least  reserve  between  yourself  and  Him,  because 
*'  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  you."  No  forced 
surrender  can  possibly  meet  the  claim  of  God  upon 

But  to  have  naught  is  ours,  not  to  confess 
That  we  have  naught.     I  stood  amazed  at  this, 

Much  troubled,  till  I  heard  a  friend  express 
That  all  things  were  more  ours  by  being  His. 

What  Adayn  had,  and  forfeited  for  all, 

Christ  keepeth  now,  who  cannot  fail  or  fall." 


1 14  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

you.  It  is  the  citadel  of  the  Will  itself  that  must  be 
yielded,  even  to  its  last  reluctance.  It  is  the  love  and 
loyalty  of  your  inmost  souls,  that  Jesus  calls  for,  and 
they  are  never  self-commanded.  As  you  fully  believe, 
you  will  fully  love.  As  you  fully  love,  you  will  fully 
give  yourselves  to  God.  Thus  only  can  you  be  conse- 
crated to  Him.  Love  has  no  will  save  this,  "  I  de- 
light to  do  Thy  will."  Love  makes  all  labor  light ; 
love  makes  all  sacrifices  sweet ;  love  sees  the  crown 
over  every  cross  ;  love  has  no  fear ;  love  never  stipu- 
lates ;  love  never  needs  to  test  itself  by  future  possi- 
bilities ;  and  love,  when  Christ  Himself  tests  it,  can 
straightway  answer,  "  Yea,  Lord,  thou  knowest  all 
things,  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  Thee  !" 

IIL  — COMMITTAL. 

We  come  now  to  that  preparation  which,  through 
the  power  of  God,  passes  over  into  performance  itself. 
The  heart  being  full  of  courage  because  of  its  faith, 
and  full  of  devotion  because  of  its  love,  must  now 
take  the  step  of  a  full  committal  to  His  ways ;  and 
this  also  must  be  the  work  of  Faith. 

When  the  Lord  led  His  people  through  the  Red 
Sea,  His  winds  had  been  long  blowing  over  it,  and 
they  saw  a  path  prepared  for  them.  They  saw 
also  the  outstretched  rod  of  Moses  that  seemed  to 
pledge  the  safety  cf  their  passage.  So  that  though 
it  was  "  by  faith,"  that  ''  they  passed  through  the 
Red  Sea  as  by  dry  land,"  yet  it  could  not  be  said 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARa  TION.  j  i  5 

'they  walked  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight."  Rather, 
they  walked  by  a  faith,  that  had  sight  for  its  helper. 

But  now  the  demand  upon  their  faith  was  absolute. 
No  sign  or  token  was  given.  No  outstretched  rod 
was  seen,  and  they  heard  the  roarings  of  no  winds. 
They  saw  no  moving  of  the  waters.  They  had  no 
outward  security.  They  had  only  a  simple  promise 
of  their  God.  In  truth,  all  outward  sight  seemed  to 
contradict  that  promise.  Jordan  was  overflowing  all 
its  banks,  giving  the  stream  a  double  breadth.  But 
not  even  this  was  to  be  changed,  till  faith  had  ven- 
tured upon  the  word  of  their  God.  "  It  shall  come 
to  pass,"  was  the  promise,  "  as  soon  as  the  soles  of 
the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bare  the  ark  of  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  of  all  the  earth,  shall  rest  in  the  waters  of 
Jordan,  that  the  waters  of  Jordan  shall  be  cut  off 
from  the  waters  that  come  down  from  above ;  and 
they  shall  stand  upon  an  heap."*  The  first  step 
was  to  be  taken  in  the  waters.  They  were  called 
upon  not  only  to  face  the  difficulties,  but  to  enter 
them.  They  were  not  to  ask  God  to  prove  His  power 
first.  They  were  to  trust  Him  first,  and  then  should 
they  see  as  they  followed  on  to  know  the  Lord,  "  His 
going  forth "  to  be  "  prepared  as  the  morning." 
There  does  not  appear  to  have  been  a  moment's 
hesitation  on  the  part  of  the  priests. 

The  record  follows  almost  in  the  very  words  of  the 


♦Josh.  iii.  13. 


Il6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

promise,  "  And  it  came  to  pass  when  the  people  re- 
moved from  their  tents,  to  pass  over  Jordan,  and  the 
priests  bearing  the  ark  of  the  covenant  before  the 
people ;  and  as  they  that  bare  the  ark  were  come 
unto  Jordan,  and  the  feet  of  the  priests  that  bare 
the  ark  were  dipped  in  the  brim  of  the  water,  (for 
Jordan  overfloweth  all  his  banks  all  the  time  of 
harvest,)  that  the  waters  which  came  down  from 
above  stood  and  rose  up  upon  an  heap  very  far  from 
the  city  Adam,  that  is  beside  Zaretan ;  and  those 
that  came  down  toward  the  sea  of  the  plain,  even  the 
salt  sea  failed,  and  were  cut  off :  and  the  people 
passed  over  right  against  Jericho."  * 

How  fatal  had  been  a  halt,  although  but  one  step 
short  of  the  brim  of  the  waters.     Even  the  foot  up- 

*  Joshua  iii.  14-16.  "  On  the  broken  edge  of  the  river — so  the 
scene  which  follows  is  placed  before  us  by  the  narrative — the 
band  of  priests  stood  with  the  Ark  upon  their  shoulders.  At  a 
distance  of  nearly  a  mile  in  the  rear  stood  the  great  mSss  of  the 
army.  Suddenly  the  full  bed  of  the  Jordan  was  direct  before 
them.  High  up  the  river — 'very  far'  —  *  in  Adam,  the  city 
which  is  beside  Zaretan ' — that  is,  at  a  distance  of  nearly  thirty 
miles  from  the  place  of  the  Israelite  encampment,  '  the  waters 
which  came  down  from  above,'  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  stood, 
and  rose  up  in  a  barrier ;  and  *  those  that  came  down  towards 
the  sea  of  the  Desert,  the  salt  sea  failed,  and  were  cut  off.'  The 
scene  presented  to  us,  therefore,  is  of  the  river-bed  dried  up 
from  north  to  south,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach — an  image 
which,  however  it  may  be  explained,  is  important  to  bear  in 
mind,  to  avoid  a  confused  notion  which  is  often  formed  from  a 
supposed  parallel  with  the  account  of  the  Red  Seai."—Dc'an 
SioMleys  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  298. 


THE    TRIPLE  PREPARATION.  uy 

lifted,  ready  to  fall  as  soon  as  the  path  was  ready, 
would  have  waited  in  vain.  The  promise  was  ad- 
dressed only  to  the  faith  that,  without  seeing  signs 
and  wonders,  could  yet  believe.  That  one  step  taken 
which  proved  their  faith,  and  placed  it  in  a  position 
of  entire  receptivity — then  God  could  prove  His  faith- 
fulness and  manifest  His  power.  His  wonders  follow 
at  once. 

The  lesson  which  is  here  taught  us  is  of  the  utmost 
importance,  showing  us  the  very  essence  of  all  true 
faith.  Mature  faith  must  be  able  to  dare  and  to  en- 
dure, with  no  other  stay  than  seeing  Him  who  is 
invisible.  Our  Father  does,  indeed,  stretch  out  the 
hand  of  yearning  tenderness  to  steady  the  tottering 
steps  of  a  babe.  In  His  pity  and  compassion  He 
will  not  forbid  the  poor  cripple  his  staff;  but  the 
faith  of  full  years  and  of  steady  strength,  can  never 
be  developed  by  continued  indulgence.  It  must  be 
exercised  by  reason  of  use.  And  so  God  leads  His 
children  out  at  last  beyond  all  visible  stays  and 
props,  or  even  stepping-stones,  where  hearing  only 
His  voice,  "  Go  forward  " — 

"  Nothing  before,  and  nothing  behind, 
The  steps  of  Faith 
Fall  on  the  seeming  void,  and  find 
The  rock  beneath." 

Again,  that  God  instead  of  giving  His  people  some 
visible  aid  for  their  crossing,  set  before  them  a  most 


Ilg  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

visible  hindrance,  doubling  the  danger  and  difficulty 
to  the  natural  eye,  is  in  perfect  accord  with  our  ad- 
vanced experience.  Only  how  often  does  the  sim- 
pHcity  of  our  faith  fail  to  equal  theirs.  It  would 
have  been  a  most  natural  thing  for  an  Israelite  to 
say,  rising  up  that  morning  and  looking  wistfully 
over  Jordan,  "  We  can  not  possibly  cross  to-day. 
This  can  not  be  the  time,  for  it  is  high  flood.  Surely 
the  Lord  will  have  us  wait  awhile  until  the  waters 
abate."  It  would  have  been  natural,  even  for  such 
doubts  to  become  a  denial  of  God's  word,  as  the 
suggestion  followed —  *  The  days  for  such  wonders  are 
past.  There  were  evident  reasons  why  Jehovah  should 
lead  our  fathers  through  the  Red  Sea,  and  inaugurate 
our  national  life  with  a  miracle.  But  the  necessity 
has  past.  Forty  years  have  gone  by  since  the  time 
of  those  mighty  signs  and  wonders.  Is  it  not  pre- 
sumptuous to  look  for  the  repetition  of  such  a  mira- 
cle ?  Let  us  use  our  own  judgment  and  strength  as 
best  we  may.  When  Jordan  has  fallen  again,  we  can 
either  find  its  fords,  or  bridge  it  at  some  favorable 
point.*  But  happily  we  have  no  such  record.  They 
had  learned  at  last  the  dangers  of  doubt,  and  the 
blessedness  of  believing  God. 

But  what  of  our  own  record  ?  In  the  face  of  prom- 
ises as  distinct  as  were  given  to  them,  are  not  many 
of  us  found  questioning  the  result  ?  It  is  the  first 
instinctive  impulse  of  unbelief  to  seek  a  sign — to 
have  something  to  interpose  between  itself  and  the 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPaRA  TJOAT. 


119 


bare  word  of  God.  And  so,  how  often  is  the  ques- 
tion asked  :  *  If  God  be  really  disposed  to  bring  me 
into  this  glorious  liberty,  will  there  not  be  at  least 
some  token  of  it  ?  Shall  I  find  no  evidence  of  it  in 
my  own  altered  feelings  ;  and  especially  will  not  the 
Lord  prepare  the  way  by  lowering  the  opposing  tide 
of  temptation  ?  '  The  Word  of  our  God  needs  neither 
sign  nor  surety.  Be  it  a  promise,  or  be  it  a  command, 
it  matters  not ;  for  every  command  has  a  promise  for 
its  kernel.  We  are  to  go  forward  to  obey  His  com- 
mands— forward  to  receive  His  promises — forward  in 
faith — forward  though  difficulties  double.  Not  from 
the  withdrawal  of  these  is  our  strength  to  come,  but 
from  Him  who  has  said, ''  My  grace  is  sufficient  for 
thee ;  my  strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness." 

Yet,  in  the  face  of  this  assurance,  the  complaint  is 
heard  on  all  sides,  '  I  am  at  this  present  time  exposed 
to  unusual  pressure — Outward  circumstances  combine 
against  me.  Within,  temptations  and  weakness  meet, 
and  my  peculiar  temperament  is  tried  by  all  that  can 
trouble  it  most.  Is  it  not  too  much  to  expect  deliv- 
erance ?  After  all,  these  wonders  of  grace  must  have 
been  meant  for  apostles.  At  least,  they  belong  to 
the  early  ages.  It  certainly  does  not  please  God  to 
work  so  in  our  own  day,  unless  it  be  with  some  very 
extraordinary  people.  Why  should  I  be  so  presumptu- 
ous as  to  expect  it  ?  Should  I  not  even  dishonor  the 
Lord  in  attempting  to  claim  such  special  promises, 
when  I  am  well-nigh  certain  to  fail,  and  draw  back  in 


120  THE   FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

confusion  and  shame  ?  Surely,  the  Lord  never  in- 
tended me  to  obey  any  such  command,  or  receive 
any  such  great  promise.  I  stand,  therefore,  ex- 
cused.* 

The  Word  of  God  allows  not  a  particle  of  license  to 
any  such  quibbling.  To  whom  of  all  mankind  has 
God  not  said,  "Be  holy?"  Whom  does  He  release 
from  that  law  of  blessing  that  girds  His  universe? 
If  we  can  find  a  soul  excepted  from  His  commands, 
that  soul  must  also  be  excepted  from  His  promises. 
But  how  significant  it  is  that  while  our  faith  is  not 
energetic  enough  to  accept  the  promises  of  God,  we 
are  not  consistent  enough  to  really  loose  our  con- 
sciences from  the  commands,  but  secretly  hope  some- 
time to  find  a  way,  under  favoring  circumstances,  to  do 
that  which  we  can  not  quite  believe  that  God  is  able, 
at  any  time,  to  do  for  us. 

In  truth,  we  are  accustomed  to  discount  the  prom- 
ises of  God,  in  a  way  that  would  utterly  dishonor  any 
fellow-being.  W^henever  we  place  full  confidence  in 
a  friend,  a  solemn  assurance,  though  it  be  but  a  word, 
is  decisive.  But  if  we  thus  receive  the  witness  of  men 
to  their  own  ability  to  aid  us,  how  shall  we  not  receive 
also  that  witness  of  God  which  is  so  much  greater — 
greater  because  He  is  not  only  full  of  truth  in  pur- 
posing, but  also  never  forgets  His  promise,  and  can 
never  be  thwarted  in  its  performance.  Our  confi 
dence  can  not  be  misplaced  as  it  rests  upon  His 
promises,  seeing  that  the  slightest  of  them  is  built 


THE    TRIPLE   PREPARATION.  12 1 

four   square    upon   these   strong    foundations — His 
Righteousness,  His  Truth,  His  Love,  His  Power. 

This,  then,  is  the  foot  dipped  in  the  brimming 
waters — when  we  have  heard  the  Lord  calHng  us  to 
follow  Him,  "  To  walk  worthy  of  Him  unto  all  pleas- 
ing," to  have  "  spirit,  soul,  and  body,  preserved  blame-i 
less  unto  His  coming,"  to  let  ''  the  God  of  Peace 
sanctify  us  wholly  ;"  — when  we  have  heard  this  call, 
to  take  then  His  promise,  "  FaitJiful  is  He  that  call- 
eth  yoii  who  also  -will  do  ity'  and  to  go  on,  though 
confronted  by  temptation,  and  encompassed  with 
weakness ;  to  go  on,  as  though  these  were  not — so 
stepping  out  of  self  and  its  limitations,  into  Christ,  and 
all  His  boundless  possibilities  ;  and  finding  that  it  is  no 
longer  we,  that  live,  that  walk,  but  Christ,  who  even 
as  He  has  promised,  dwells  in  us,  and  walks  in  us. 

Again,  the  foot  dipped  in  the  brimming  waters 
declares  emphatically  that  faith  is  to  precede  feeling. 
Incalculable  mischief  has  crept  into  Christian  expe- 
rience through  the  neglect  of  this  simple  truth.  A 
religion  that  rests  upon  feeling,  for  either  its  security 
or  comfort,  will  find  itself  tottering  and  trembling  to 
the  end.  Yet  so  common  and  so  great  has  been  the 
loss  sustained  in  this  way,  that,  having  recognized  it, . 
we  are  now  not  a  little  in  danger  of  an  extreme  reac- 
tion. There  are  some  who,  at  least,  seem  to  teach  that 
faith  is  not  only  to  precede  feeling,  but  to  supersede 
it.  Our  feelings,  they  say,  are  not  at  all  to  be  regarded. 
At   no  stage  can  their   evidence  be  taken.     This  is 


122  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

plainly  unscriptural.  Very  crude  indeed  must  be  the 
conception  of  truth,  where  a  soul  in  the  midst  of  un- 
satisfactory and  unsanctified  feelings,  settles  the  whole 
matter,  by  regarding  itself  complete  in  Christ  through 
faith  alone,  and  so  allows  its  evil  frames  and  feel- 
ings to  go  on  unchecked. 

Nothing  that  we  discover  in  heart  or  life,  need  hin*^ 
der  us  in  coming  to  Christ  to  seek  deliverance  from 
it.  We  may  even  use  our  worst  discoveries  as  our 
plea  in  coming ;  ''  For  the  whole  have  no  need  of  a 
Physician,  but  they  that  are  sick."  Nor  will  my  sick- 
ness make  the  Physician  displeased  with  me  in  my 
first  application  to  him.  Yet,  if  he  has  given  me  all 
that  should  restore  me,  and  my  own  wilfulness  or 
carelessness  still  keep  me  in  the  same  feeble  condi- 
tion, he  will  be  greatly  displeased  with  me.  Now, 
my  feelings  are  not  the  real  seat  of  the  disease,  and 
yet  there  we  find  our  surest  syinptoms  as  a  rule.  I 
can  not  possibly  be  in  health  with  such  disordered 
feelings.  I  ignore  them  at  my  peril.  And  so  as  I 
come  to  Christ — feeling  no  glow  of  love,  no  peace 
that  passeth  understanding,  no  joy  unspeakable — I 
am  not  to  regard  these  as  reasons  for  not  coming  to 
Him,  or  as  hindrances.  This  very  trouble  gives  me  a 
right  to  come.  I  can  appeal  now  to  the  compassion 
of  my  Healer  —  "Lord,  I  am  well-nigh  sick  unto 
death."  But  if  after  He  has  healed  me,  and  taught 
me  the  conditions  of  sustaining  health,  I  find  my- 
self again  unloving,  cold,  perturbed,  fretted,  moody,  I 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARA  TION. 


123 


have  not  the  least  right  to  say  that  all  is  well, 
and  that  disregarding  all  this,  I  am  to  believe  myself 
fully  accepted  through  Christ.  Unless  I  bring  this 
disturbance  to  Him  for  confession,  forgiveness,  and 
healing,  I  am  utterly  at  fault. 

Our  feelings  are  of  importance.  The  same  Creator 
who  set  the  faithful  nerves  as  sentinels  along  all  the 
lines  of  the  senses,  to  give  due  warning  of  danger  and 
disease,  gave  a  corresponding  sensitiveness  to  our 
souls.  Faith  is  not  to  discharge  this  as  unnecessary, 
but  to  retain  it  in  her  service.  If  it  be  well  with  our 
faith,  it  will  also  be  well  with  our  feelings.  If  we 
have  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  then  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit 
will  be  ours  also ;  and  many  of  these  fruits  are  pre- 
cisely what  we  are  accustomed  to  class  loosely  under 
the  head  of  feelings.  They  are  such  as  love,  joy, 
peace.  They  are  not  the  root,  but  they  are  the  fruit ; 
they  furnish  finally  the  test,  not  of  God's  power,  but 
of  our  reception  of  that  power. 

The  Apostle  John  repeatedly  appeals  to  such  tests 
as  these  respecting  our  adoption,  and  growth  in  grace. 
The  words  so  often  used  by  him  — "  Hereby  we 
know  " — most  certainly  teach  us  that  while  looking 
unto  Jesus,  we  are  to  see  also,  that  both  in  outward 
acts  and  inward  states,  we  are  becoming  like  Jesus. 
Having  faith  first,  we  shall  have  all  holy  frames,  and 
heavenly  feelings. 

And  now  let  us  take  one  more  glance  over  this 
triple  preparation  of  courage,  and  consecration,  and 


124  ^"^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

committal.  Each  of  these  represents  a  practical 
truth.  Each  is  a  step  in  harmony  with  the  will  of 
God.  Each  is  necessary  to  the  development  of  effect- 
ual faith.  And  yet  such  are  the  simplicity  and  the 
,  speed  of  Faith,  that  the  three  will  seem  as  but  one 
step,  and  in  action  will  need  no  such  analysis. 

No  one  will  ever  pass  over  into  the  fulness  of  blessing 
who  fails  to  set  his  feet  in  these  old  way-marks.  It 
is  impossible,  without  the  courageous  faith  that  can 
say,  ''  My  heart  is  fixed,  trusting  in  the  Lord."  It  is 
impossible  unless  we  can  say,  "  Lord,  I  am  thine,  en- 
tirely thine."  And  how  can  it  ever  be  more  than  a 
beautiful  ideal  to  those  who  can  not  say,  *  I  am  so  tak- 
ing the  promises  of  God  as  to  act  upon  them.  I  am 
following  along  their  track,  fully  persuaded  that  God 
Himself  will  perform  all  that  He  has  promised.  I 
count  His  promises  my  open  pathway.  I  venture 
upon  them,  and  know  that  it  shall  come  to  pass 
according  to  His  word.  I  commit  my  whole  being 
to  Him  in  well  doing.  He  will  remove  every  obsta- 
cle from  my  path.  He  will  guide  me.  He  will  endue 
me  with  power  from  on  high.  I  dip  my  feet  in  this 
Jordan.  I  die  to  all  confidence  in  myself.  I  rise  to  all 
completeness  in  Jesus.  Life  in  myself,  has  been  a 
failure.  Life  in  the  Spirit  of  God,  is  my  hope  of 
triumph  now.  I  pass  beyond  the  bounds  of  human 
power,  and  riseii  in  Christ,  I  set  no  bounds  to 
that  which  He  will  do  for  me — exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  I  ask  or   think.     I  believe  in  Jesus,  and 


THE   TRIPLE  PREPARA  TION. 


125 


therefore  I  shall  see  the  glory  of  God.  I  trust  Him, 
and  I  see  Him  at  once  arrest  the  whole,  resistless, 
swollen  tide,  holding  the  waves  of  terror  and  tempta- 
tion, cut  off  even  very  far  away,  so  that  I  fear  no  evil.* 
With  the  Courage  of  Faith,  the  Consecration 
OF  Faith,  and  the  Committal  of  Faith,  "  we  who 
have  believed  do  enter  into  rest." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    ARK    OF    THE    COVENANT. 

^^  A  ND  Joshua  said  unto  the  children  of 
-fi  Israel,  Come  hither,  and  hear  the 
words  of  the  Lord  your  God.  And  Joshua 
SAID,  Hereby  ye  shall  know  that  the  liv- 
ing God  is  among  you,  and  that  he  will 
without  fail   drive  out   from   before  you 

THE  CaNAANITES,  AND  THE  HiTTITES,  AND  THE 
HiVITES,  AND  THE  PERIZZITES,  AND  THE  GlR- 
GASHITES,    AND    THE  AmORITES,  AND   THE    JEBUS- 

ITES.  Behold,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  of 
THE  Lord  of  all  the   earth   passeth  over 

BEFORE   YOU   INTO   JORDAN." — {Josh.  Hi.  9-II.) 

This  it  was  that  was  to  stay  the  waters — **  THE 
Ark  of  the  Covenant  of  the  Lord  of  all 
THE  EARTH."  Not  till  all  the  people  had  passed 
over,  was  the  Ark  of  the  Lord  to  pass  over.  The 
priests  who  bore  it  stood  firm  on  dry  ground,  in  the 
midst  of  Jordan,  till  all  had  passed. 

The  Ark  here  assumed  its  proper  prominence. 
Hitherto  a  pillar  of  cloud  by  day,  and  a  pillar  of 
(126) 


THE  ARK  OF  THE  CO  V EM  ANT.  127 

fire  by  night,  hovering  over  the  Tabernacle,  had 
guided  them.  Now  the  Ark  itself  was  to  go  visi- 
bly before  them,  as  the  immediate  symbol  of  the 
Living  God,  and  the  pledge  of  His  presence  and 
power  in  their  midst.  It  was  the  most  sacred  por- 
tion, by  far,  of  the  hallowed  structure.  More  fully 
than  all  else  it  represented  Christ.  Especially  was  it 
adapted  to  suggest  His  Person,  and  Presence,  and  to 
show  forth  His  work,  as  living,  as  dying,  and  as  alive 
forevermore. 

In  common  with  those  other  portions  of  the  Tab- 
ernacle which  represented  Christ,  the  Ark  was  made 
of  shittim-wood,  and  overlaid  with  gold.  For  every- 
where the  same  blessed  lesson  is  repeated — the  union 
of  the  human  and  the  Divine  —  the  very  man  and 
very  God.  And  yet  it  is  the  human  nature  that  is 
overlaid  and  glorified  by  the  Divine — taken  into  it 
and  shielded  by  it,  and  so  preserved  and  ennobled. 

The  Ark  held  also,  in  security,  the  Tables  of  the 
Law.  This  was,  indeed,  the  office  for  which  it  was 
appointed  ;  and  nothing  could  so  establish  the  high 
nature  of  Law,  and  so  prove  its  essence  to  be  the 
very  mind  of  God,  as  to  assign  it  a  home  in  the 
most  sacred  spot  of  all,  as  the  very  regalia  of  His 
realm. 

This  same  Law,  as  at  first  given,  was  broken  by  the 
people,  before  Moses  could  reach  them  with  the  writ- 
ten Tables  in  his  hand— his  own  breaking  of  the  Stones 
only  representing  their  breaking  of  the  Covenant  it- 


128  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

self.  The  second  set  of  Tables  was  not  entrusted  to 
the  hands  of  men,  but  was  placed  at  once  in  the 
Ark,  which  was  prepared  before  he  went  up  into 
the  mount."^  Thus,  till  Christ  came,  every  man  who 
touched  the  Law  broke  it ;  and  though  it  were  the 
least  of  the  Commandments,  yet  was  he  "  guilty  of 
all."  That  is  to  say,  it  mattered  not  through  which 
li7ie  of  the  Law  the  fracture  ran,  or  whether  its  frag- 
ments were  small  or  large,  broken  anywhere  it  ceased 
to  be  a  whole.  It  was  dishonored  throughout.  But 
Jesus  came  and  fulfilled  all  righteousness.  He  so  hid 
the  Law  in  His  heart,  that  there  was  never  the  slight- 
est fracture  of  either  Tablet — never  a  sin  against  God 
or  against  man.  In  Christ  first,  was  exhibited  that 
new  Covenant,  in  which  the  Law  should  be  put  into 
the  mind,  and  written  in  the  heart.  It  was  so  writ- 
ten in  the  mind  of  Christ,  that  He  had  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  the  Law  (an  aspect  of  obedience  often  greatly 
overlooked),  and  it  was  so  put  into  His  heart,  that  He 
had  perfect  love  of  it.  He  came,  saying,  "  I  delight 
to  do  thy  will,  O  my  God  !  "  This  was  His  life-work 
through  all  its  phases  of  waiting,  and  working,  and 
suffering. 

But  the  Mercy-seat  rested  upon,  and  covered  the 
Ark.  Mercy  could  find  a  basis  where  the  Law  was 
fully  kept.  Mercy  and  Truth  there  met  together. 
He  who  was  first  the  antitype  of  the  Ark,  in  fulfill- 

♦  Deut.  X.  1-5. 


THE  ARK  OF   THE  COVENANT.  i2q 

ing  the  Law  in  His  life,  became  then  the  antitype 
of  the  Mercy-seat  as  set  forth  in  His  death  for  a  pro- 
pitiation"^ for  sins.  He  honored  the  Law  by  His  own 
keeping  of  it,  and  then,  as  the  far  greater  task,  hon- 
ored it  by  atoning  for  the  sins  of  those  who  had 
broken  it.  The  great  truth  taught  by  the  Mercy- 
seat,  is  exhibited  in  the  springing  of  the  Blood  upon 
it,  on  the  great  day  of  Atonement. 

But  still  a  further  task  remained — to  provide  for  the 
keeping  of  this  Law,  by  those  who  were  forgiven  their 
iniquities ;  and  this  glorious  truth  is  exhibited  in  the 
two  Cherubic  figures,  which  formed  the  completion 
and  crown  of  the  Mercy-seat.  "  Beaten  out  of  the 
matter  of  the  mercy-seat;'  as  a  part  of  it,  their  signifi- 
cation must  be  kindred  with  its  own.  They  plainly 
represent  some  provision  of  the  great  salvation  from 
sin.  In  form  and  posture,  they  present  as  clearly  as 
possible,  the  idea  of  living  and  reigning.  Now  the 
living,  reigning  Jesus  has  still  this  other  work  to  do 
in  honoring  the  Law,  to  enable  His  people  to  keep  it, 
by  writing  it  also  in  their  minds  and  hearts.  In  this 
great  office  the  Holy  Spirit  is  His  Co-worker.  So 
we  behold  the  upper  portion  of  the  Mercy-seat  as- 
sume the  form  of  two  Cherubim,  with  outspread 
wings,  and  faces  toward  the  Mercy-seat.  Between 
them  God  dwelt.  Thence  He  shone  forth.  And 
while  we  should  tread  softly  amid  such  sanctities  as 

*  (Rom.  iii.  25)  Vkaarnpiov  ;  i.  e.,  Mercy-Seat.     Compare  Heb. 
ix.  5. 


1 30  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSLYG. 

these,  of  which  even  an  Apostle  did  not  see  fit  to 
*  speak  particularly,"  one  can  not  but  feel  that  any 
interpretation  falls  short,  which  fails  to  recognize  the 
manifestation  of  Divine  Natures — not  in  similitudes^ 
but  in  symbols.  They  were  a  part  of  the  Mercy-seat 
— they  were  enthroned — they  stood  in  closest  prox- 
imity to  the  Invisible  God.  They  could  not  signify 
angels,  for  angels  have  no  share  in  the  high  office  of 
Salvation  ;  to  angels  God  has  not  put  in  subjection 
the  world  to  come.  But  in  these  immediate  sup- 
porters of  the  Most  High — these  Indicators  of  the 
Invisible — we  can  recognize  no  lower  beings  than  the 
very  Sharers  of  His  own  Being — Christ  and  the  Spirit. 
We  are  not  for  a  moment  to  think  of  these  Cheriv 
bim,  as  suggesting  any  likeness  of  their  persons,  but 
simply  set  forth  as  symbols  of  their  offices,  as  was 
everything  else  in  this  structure.  And  so  they 
stand  erect,  as  full  of  life.  They  spread  out  their 
wings,  for  they  are  full  of  all  holy  activity.  Their 
faces  look  one  to  another,  and  toward  the  Mercy- 
seat  ;  for  in  their  holy  fellowship,  their  one  aim  is  to 
develop  this  work  of  atonement  to  its  richest  results, 
of  righteousness.  It  is  the  Risen  Jesus,  and  it  is  His 
Holy  Spirit,  who  have  now  to  carry  out  the  Covenant 
in  the  hearts  of  men.  They  alone  can  write  it  there. 
They  alone  can  give  true  knowledge  of  what  it  is. 
They  alone  can  incline  the  heart  to  heed  it.  Those 
who  are  redeemed  from  the  curse  of  a  broken  law,  find 
their  refuge  here.     They  come  under  the  protection 


THE   ARK  OF  THE  COVENANT.  131 

of  Christ  and  the  Spirit.  Their  Power  and  their 
Presence  are  the  wings  that  overshadow  them ;  as 
their  Lord  Himself  has  promised,  *'  All  power  is 
given  unto  me  in  Heaven  and  in  earth ;"  and,  "  Lo  I 
am  with  you  all  the  days,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world." 

In  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  then,  we  behold  the 
entirety  of  Christ's  relation  to  the  Law,  as  developed 
in  three  great  parts.  We  see  at  once  a  Life  which 
is  our  perfect  pattern;  a  DEATH  which  is  our  perfect 
propitiation;  and  a  LIVING  FOREVERMORE,  which  is 
our  perfect  provision  for  living  also ;  even  the  two- 
fold might  of  an  Advocate  with  the  Father,  and  an- 
other Comforter  with  us.*  Under  those  outspread 
wings,  our  human  life  expands  to  meet  the  measures 
of  things  divine.  This  is  the  security  that  we  have 
now  in  Christ ;  and  hereby  we  know  that  the  Living 
God  is  among  us,  and  will,  without  fail,  drive  out  every 
enemy  before  us. 

In  this  same  Ark,  as  placed  afterwards  in  the  Tem- 
ple, we  find  some  significant  changes,  at  which  it  may 
be  well  to  glance.  The  Cherubim  are  there  made  of 
olive-wood,  overlaid  with  gold,  instead  of  being  as  in 
the  Tabernacle,  all  of  gold.  As  man,  Christ  does  not 
yet  reign;  but  when.  He  so  reigns,  we  shall  reign 
also.  The  Temple  sets  forth  the  greater  glory  of  His 
Kingdom,  when  firmly  established.  Redeemed  man 
in  that  Kingdom,  "  when  the  Son  of  Man  shall   come 

*  Cf.  John  xiv.  16,  and  i  John  ii.  i— In  both  naott/cXjyrof. 


132  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

\\\  His  glory,"  is  to  be  even  enthroned.^  They  that 
have  part  in  the  first  resurrection,  are  to  *'  live  and 
reign  with  Christ."  Upon  the  right  hand  of  'the 
King  is  to  stand  ''  the  Queen  in  gold  of  Ophir."f 
Christ,  the  Bridegroom,  is  to  present  unto  Himself 
''  a  glorious  Church,"  as  His  chosen  Bride.  %  NozVy 
it  is  Christ  and  His  Spirit,  who  reign,  by  virtue  of 
their  Divinity,  as  shadowed  in  the  temporary  struc- 
ture of  the  Tabernacle,  where  the  Cherubim  were  all 
of  gold.  But  then  it  will  be  the  "  olive-wood  over  laid  with 
gold.''  As  the  wood  is  the  emblem  of  humanity,  so 
the  olive-wood  symbolizes  its  interpenetration  by  the 
Spirit,  which  found  one  of  its  most  appropriate  figures 
in  the  oil-olive.  Christ  through  the  Holy  Ghost  tak- 
ing our  nature  upon  Him,  and  we  through  the  Hoi)' 
Ghost  becoming  partakers  of  His  Divine  nature — He 
the  only  begotten.  Eternal  Son  of  the  Father,  born 
of  woman,  and  we  born  again  of  God,  are  yet  to  be 
brought  into  that  wondrous  union,  which  is  by  pre- 
eminence the  ^^ great  mystery"  of  the  Gospel,  as  well 
as  God's  "  eternal  purpose  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 
Christ  is  yet  to  be  all  for  His  Church,  and  His  Church 
all  for  Him.  Few  know  this  hope  of  their  calling — • 
none  unless  God  hath  revealed  it  unto,  them  by  His 
Spirit.  To  all  others  it  is  as  an  idle  tale,  heard,  but 
neither  believed  nor  understood. 

The  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  then,  that  goes  before  us 


*  Rev.  iii.  21.  t  Ps.  xlv.  9  J  Eph.  v. 


THE  ARK  OF  THE  COVENANT.  133 

is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  a  glorious  thing  to 
have  a  Covenant  embodied  in  a  Person,  to  have  the 
"  exceeding  great  and  precious  promises"  made  secure 
to  us  in  a  still  more  precious  Promiser. 

But  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  borne  on  before  all 
the  people  into  the  opening  pathway,  told  not  only 
of  Jesus,  but  of  Jesus  as  our  Forerunner — the  first  to 
pass  through  the  barriers  that  shut  us  out  from  our 
inheritance.  He  went  down  first  of  all,  setting  His 
feet  in  the  brim  of  the  waters,  as  our  Priest,  and  the 
Prince  of  Faith.  He  passed  on  into  the  flood,  that 
swelled  for  Him  beyond  all  bounds,  as  it  never 
swelled  before  or  since,  and  never  can  again.  For  He 
touched  the  waters  of  sorrow,  that  they  might  hence- 
forth be  cut  off,  and  our  sorrow  turned  into  joy.  He 
touched  the  waves  of  Temptation,  and  they  rolled 
away  beneath  His  feet.  He  met  the  Tempter,  only 
that  He  might  depart  from  him,  and  that  his  works 
might  be  destroyed.  He  touched  the  billows  of 
death,  and  they  also  rolled  far  away.  He  tasted 
death,  only  that  through  death,  He  might  destroy 
him  who  held  its  power.  Every  high  wave  that  was 
ready  to  overwhelm  humanity,  was  stayed  as  the  Son 
of  man  entered. 

For  while  the  Lord  Jesus  went  before  us  as  the 
Son  of  God,  He  went  also  as  Man,  and  as  the  Repre- 
sentative of  Man.  It  is  therefore  the  Baptism  of 
Humanity  that  we  witness  in  His  own.  As  the  Son 
of  man,  He  rested  entirely  upon    the  power  of  the 


34 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


Spirit.  Conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  He  could  live 
a  sinless  human  life.  Baptized  by  the  descent  of  the 
Spirit,  at  His  baptism  in  Jordan,  He  went  "  in  the 
power  of  the  Spirit "  to  His  ministry  of  words  and 
works.  And  yet  He  had  still  another  baptism  to  be 
baptized  with,  so  emancipating,  so  glorious,  that  He 
could  only  say,  "  How  am  I  straitened  \a}^  it  be  accom- 
plished."* Therefore,  when  through  the  Eternal  Spirit, 
He  offered  Himself  without  spot  unto  God,  then  the 
Body  also  shared  in  the  wondrous  power.  It  could 
not  be  holden  of  death ;  it  rose,  passed  into  new 
freedom,  was  transfigured,  spiritualized.  For  forty 
days  on  earth,  and  ten  in  heaven,  the  work  went  on. 
And  now,  as  soon  as  the  rich  anointing  oil  that  was 
poured  forth,  had  covered  the  head  of  the  great  High 
Priest,  then  it  began  to  flow  down  to  the  skirts  of  the 
garments.  So  whe7i  Jesus  was  glorified^  the  Holy 
G  J  lost  was  given. 

Henceforth,  there  was  a  new  mold  for  man — the 
Son  of  Man  glorified.  Whatsoever  He  was,  or  will  be 
as  man,  that  He  would  have  us  also  become.  And 
wheresoever  He  goes,  there  it  is  His  will  that  we 
should  follow.  The  exceeding  greatness  of  God's 
power  to  US-ward  who  believe,  is  only  to  be  measured 
by  what  ''  He  wrought  in  Christ,  when  He  raised  Him 
from  the  dead,  and  set  Him  at  His  own  right  hand  in 

*  See  on  this  interpretation  of  Luke  xii.  50,  some  extremely  in- 
teresting thoughts  on  "  the  Glorification  of  Christ  "  in  Chap.  xv. 
of  yes7ts  and  the  Coming  Glory,  by  Joel  Jones,  LL.D. 


THE  ARK  OF    THE    COVEN" ANT.  135 

the  heavenly  places."  Nor  let  our  faith  falter,  as  this 
measure  reaches  on  and  on — ''  far  above  all  princi- 
pality, and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and 
every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but 
also  in  that  which  is  to  come ;  " — and  still  on — for 
"  He  hath  put  all  things  under  His  feet,  and  gave  Him 
to  be  the  Head  over  all  things  to  the  Church,  which 
is  His  body,  the  fulness  of  Him  that  filleth  all  in 
all."* 

These  are  not  the  words  of  ecstatic  song,  but  ^'  the 
words  of  truth  and  soberness."  And  yet,  how  shall 
the  Christian  be  persuaded  of  them,  and  embrace 
them? — for  there  are  multitudes  who  miss  them. 
In  their  narrow  thought,  and  in  feeble  faith,  they  see 
not  the  great  object  of  God  in  drawing  nigh  unto  us 
in  the  flesh.  They  put  Him  back  again  far  from  them. 
They  receive  the  blessing  of  His  humanity,  so  far  as 
to  claim  in  Him  the  friend  of  sinners ;  but  they  do 
not  let  Him  come  nigh  enough  to  be  truly  their 
brother — much  less  are  they  looking  for  Him,  and 
making  ready  for  Him,  as  the  Bridegroom.f  They 
still  measure  their  risen  life  by  their  old  life,  and  for- 
get that  Christ  leads  us  on  to  that  true  ideal  of  man 
which  first  appeared  in  Him.  It  is  a  new  path  to  a 
new  glory.  None  of  us  has  ''  gone  this  way  hereto- 
fore ;"  for  man  was  not  created  thus,  nor  has  he 
ever  been  able,  nor  will  he  ever  be  of  himself,  to 
reach  such  a  height.  It  is  the  calling  of  the  Churchy 
*  Eph.  i.  19-23.  t  Rev.  xix.  7. 


I -.5  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

even  to  be  FOR  Christ,  IN  Christy  LIKE  Christ,  and 
WITH  Christ  forever. 

Yet,  let  it  never  be  forgotten,  that  a  reverent  space 
was  to  be  left  between  the  people  and  the  Ark.  The 
Ark  was  to  stand  in  its  solitary  majesty,  upheld  so 
high  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  Priests,  that  while 
supporting  it,  they  should  not  screen  it.  And  then, 
two  thousand  cubits  intervened  between  it  and  their 
pathway.  "  Come  not  near  unto  it,"  was  the  charge, 
*'  that  ye  may  know  the  way  by  which  ye  must  go."* 
In  all  our  drawing  nigh  unto  God,  we  are  never  to  lay 
aside  the  '^  reverence  and  godly  fear."  Whenever 
mysticism,  in  her  extreme  forms,  has  forgotten  this, 
there  has  invariably  followed,  first,  the  indulgence  of 
self,  and  then,  that  which  Neander  has  so  aptly  called 
'*  The  gulf  of  pantheistic  self-deification."  f 

A  vast  space  must  ever  lie  between  our  derived 
and  depeiident  life,  and  His  life  and  glory,  who  is  God 
over  all,  and  never  will  the  life  which  is  so  closely 
united  with  His,  become  identical. 

But  while  the  Ark  upborne  in  Jordan  teaches  us 
such  wondrous  truth,  another  touch  of  power  is  given 
to  the  picture,  in  its  tarrying  till  all  was  accomplished. 
''  For  the  priests,  which  bare  the  Ark,  stood  in  the 


*  Josh.  ill.  4. 

t  The  whole  passage  in  which  he  traces  "  the  very  thin  and 
subtle  line  which  often  separates  truth  from  error,"  is  a  profound 
analysis  of  the  tendency  referred  to.  See  his  "  Church  History  " 
(Clark's  Ed.),  Vol.  IX.,  pp.  535-6. 


THE  ARK  OF   THE   COVENANT 


137 


midst  of  Jordan,  until  everything  was  finisJied  that 
the  Lord  commanded  Joshua  to  speak  unto  the  peo- 
ple, according  to  all  that  Moses  commanded  Joshua  ; 
and  the  people  hasted  and  passed  over.''  *  All  these 
glorious  provisions  of  the  Gospel  stand  secure,  till  all 
the  ransomed  have  learned  the  power  of  Christ's 
resurrection.  Not  only  has  the  Lord  Jesus  gone 
before  us  to  prepare  our  way,  but  He  sits  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,  "■  zvaiting  until  His  enemies  be 
made  His  foot-stool."  f  How  majestically  calm  and 
patient  those  waiting  years  of  Christ,  because  so  confi- 
dent. When  He  purposed  to  crown  His  Temple 
with  this  High  Tower  of  the  Church,  He  counted  the 
cost,  and  found  that  He  had  sufficient  to  finish  it. 

The  looker-on,  knowing  little  of  Divine  Art,  may 
**  despise  the  day  of  small  things,"  and  often  question 
if  the  Gospel  has  not  failed  in  the  accomplishment 
of  its  full  design.  But  a  word  has  been  spoken  more 
sure  than  that  of  any  earthly  builder :  "  The  hands 
of  Zerubbabel  have  laid  the  foundation  of  this  house, 
his  hands  shall  also  finish  it."  J  Those  blessed  hands 
have  never  laid  down  the  work.     Whether  it  be  a 


*  Josh.  iv.  10.  t  Heb.  x.  13,  iKdexo/nevoc. 

I  Zech.  iv.  9.  '•  It  must  be  remembered  in  reading  these 
prophecies  that  as  David  is  the  type  of  Christ,  and  not  only  so, 
but  Christ  Himself  is  also  called  David  by  the  Prophets,  so 
Zerubbabel  (the  seed  of  David,  and  leader  of  the  people  from 
captivity,  and  builder  of  the  Temple)  is  not  only  a  type  of  Christ, 
but  Christ  is  called  Zerubbabel."— 5^^  Bishop  'Vordswort/is 
Minor  Prophets, 


138  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

day,  or  a  thousand  years,  it  is  all  one  in  His  sight. 
He  waits,  while  to  so  many  His  "long-suffering  is 
salvation ;"  He  waits,  and  as  the  long  procession  of 
His  followers  files  on.  He  ever  reassures  their  hearts, 
*'  Lo,  I  am  with  you  all  the  days,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world  !"  He  waits,  until  "  everything  be  fin- 
ished." The  great  Architect  will  eventually  suffer 
no  blemish,  and  no  lack,  in  His  great  work.  And  as 
once  when  He  laid  the  foundation,  upon  His  cross  in 
Sacrifice,  He  cried  aloud  that  it  was  finished,  so  will 
He  yet  cry  louder  with  the  shout  of  exceeding  joy, 
when  the  whole  Salvation  is  finished.  "  He  shall 
bring  forth  the  head-stone  thereof  with  shoutings, 
crying,  Grace,  grace,  unto  it."  *  And  that  which  is 
true  for  the  Church  which  is  His  body,  is  true  for 
each  member  of  it.  The  Apostle  Paul  might  well 
say  to  his  beloved  Philippians,  ''  I  am  confident  of 
this  very  thing,  that  He  who  hath  begun  a  good 
work  in  you,  will  perfect  it,  even  until  the  day  of 
Jesus  Christ."  He  has  learned  very  little  of  the 
character  of  Christ,  who  can  think  of  Him  as  possibly 
forsaking  the  works  of  His  own  hands.  The  prayer 
of  David  that  He  would  not  do  it,  was  one  of  full 
confidence,  for  it  is  preceded  by  these  words  of  trust, 
**  The  Lord  will  perfect  that  which  concerneth  me : 
Thy  Mercy,  O  Lord,  endureth  forever."  f  And  yet, 
'vhile  this  is  absolutely  true,  it  is  possible  upon  the 


*  Zech.  iv.  7.  t  Ps.  cxxxviii.  8. 


THE  ARK  OF   THE   COVENANT.  i3g 

other  hand,  to  ''frustrate  the  Grace  of  God"  in  our 
individual  growth,  and  so  even  while  saved,  to  suffer 
loss ;  and  possible  also,  to  delay  His  coming  for  His 
Church.*  Blessed  are  all  who  can  say  in  sincerity, 
"  I  do  not  frustrate  the  Grace  of  God." 

In  the  history  of  this  crossing  of  Jordan,  there  is  a 
beautiful  conjunction  of  God's  waiting,  and  of  man's 
hastening.  The  Priests  and  the  Ark  stood  still ;  but 
**  the  people  hasted  and  passed  over."  Many  com- 
mentators assume  that  they  hastened  from  fear.  But 
while  the  form  of  the  verb  does  not  in  the  least  indi- 
cate this,  it  would  also  be  out  of  all  harmony  with 
the  history.  Hastening  for  fear,  when  so  many  miles 
above  them  the  bed  of  Jordan  lay  dry  !  Hastening 
for  fear,  when  they  saw  the  Ark  of  God  and  His 
Priests  far  nearer  any  possible  danger  than  them- 
selves !  Hastening  for  fear  over  Jordan,  when  their 
fathers  had  marched  through  the  flood  of  the  Red 
Sea  on  foot,  rejoicing  in  God  !  Such  haste  would 
have  been  both  utterly  unseemly,  and  an  evil  omen 
for  the  conquest.  There  were  other  reasons  for  mak- 
ing all  possible  haste.  Were  they  not  keeping  the 
priests  of  God  with  their  arms  outstretched,  to  bear 
up   their   holy  burden  ?     And   moreover,  there,  dis- 

*Cf.  I  Cor.  iii.  15,  and  2  Peter  iii.  12.  Sec  Dean  Alford's 
Greek  1  estament  upon  a-Ev5ovrac,  in  the  latter  passage,  which  he 
renders  thus  :  "  Hastening  the  advent  of  the  day  of  God."  If 
it  be  possible  to  hasten  Christ's  coming  it  is  also  possible  to  hin- 
der it. 


I40  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

tinct  before  them,  beautiful  in  the  soft,  rich  light  of 
the  early  morning,  lay  the  homes,  and  vineyards,  and 
fields,  which  they  were  to  possess.  It  was  but  a  little 
space  to  cross — they  could  see  the  very  flowers  bow- 
ing with  the  weight  of  the  dew — a  little  space,  and 
an  open  path.  A  few  steps,  and  their  feet  would  be 
in  Canaan  ;  a  few  moments,  and  the  weary  waiting  of 
years  would  end.  As  the  tired  laborer  hastes  at  the 
first  glimpse  of  his  home,  so  must  they  have  hastened. 
There  may  have  been,  also,  some  innocent  rivalry  to 
be  among  the  first  to  touch  the  further  shore.  All 
these  motives,  indeed,  might  easily  combine  as  they 
hastened  and  passed  over.  And  shall  not  the  thought 
that  Jesus  waits,  till  all  be  gathered  in — waits,  with- 
out coming  yet  "  in  His  power  and  great  glory  " — 
waits  for  His  coming  and  His  espousals — shall  not 
this  thought  stir  up  His  Church,  not  only  to  be  look- 
ing for,  but  hastening  His  coming  ?  By  all  the  dili- 
gence we  give  to  make  our  calling  and  election  sure — 
by  all  our  diligence  in  adding  to  our  faith  the  graces 
that  complete  it — by  all  our  hastening  to  pass  over 
and  share  the  risen  life  of  Christ,  and  receive  the  ful- 
ness  of  His  blessing,  do  we  at  the  same  time  render 
it  possible  for  Hi7?t  to  hasten  ?  The  love  of  Christ 
constraining  us,  will  urge  us  onward.  And  who  that 
has  had  "  the  eyes  of  the  understanding  opened,"  to 
behold  what  are  "  the  riches  of  the  glory "  of  this 
inheritance  in  Christ  Jesus,  would  not  fain  'to  his 


THE  ARK  OF    THE  COVENANT.  i^j 

speed  add  wings/  that  he  might  enter  it,  and  at  once 
possess  it  ? 

When  Israel  came  out  of  Egypt,  two  opposite  com- 
mands were  given  to  them  :  the  first,  ''Stand  still  and 
see  the  salvation  of  God ;"  the  second,  "  Speak  to 
my  people  that  they  go  forward.'*  So  again,  upon 
the  banks  of  Jordan,  there  were  days  of  quiet  resting, 
before  they  could  hasten  and  pass  over.  No  one  can 
ever  go  forward,  in  the  strength  of  God,  till  he  has 
first  stood  still  in  his  own  utter  helplessness.  But 
when  the  call  is  heard,  and  the  promise  given,  then 
go  forward  he  must,  or  forfeit  all  before  him.  All 
these  gracious  promises,  so  ancient,  so  often  renewed — 
all  the  provision  for  the  future  in  the  land — all  this 
patient  preparation — all  the  stay  of  God's  presence 
and  power — all  these  are  forfeited,  if  he  fail  to  go 
forward  in  the  obedience  of  faith.  "  If  ye  know  these 
things,  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them." 

Most  ruinous  to  faith,  is  that  serious  sentimentality 
which  admires  the  truth,  studies  it,  teaches  it,  and 
even  thinks  to  hold  it  as  its  own  ;  but  does  not  after 
all  suffer  itself  to  be  possessed  by  it.  Truth  asks  for  no 
patronizing.  It  calls  for  humble,  submissive,  loyal 
hearts.  Its  command  is,  ''Go  forward — HASTEN." 
And,  indeed,  it  is  not  enough  that  we  go  forward. 
We  must  also  hasten,  if  the  fulness  of  blessing  is 
ever  to  be  ours.  We  are  solemnly  told  that  only  as 
we  "give  diligence^''  shall  we   make  our  calling  and 


142  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

election  sure  ;  that  only  as  we  "  show  the  same  dili- 
gence!'  shall  we  have  "the  full  assurance  of  hope 
unto  the  end."  Respecting  this  very  type  we  read 
in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  "  Let  us,  therefore, 
Lasten^  to  enter  into  this  rest ;"  and  again,  we  learn 
iiow  it  is  that  in  ''giving  all  diligence^'  "an  entrance 
shall  be  ministered  unto  us  abundantly  into  the  ever- 
lasting kingdom."  f 

The  Lord  of  the  Covenant  passing  on  before  us  at 
once  our  Ark,  our  Priest,  our  Leader,  calls  to  His 
halting  disciples,  ''Follow  me — FOLLOW  ME."  And 
"he  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste  "J  for  any 
fear  ;  but  for  the  joy  of  following  Him,  whithersoever 
He  goeth,  "thy  children  shall  make  haste!"  § 

*  Heb.  iv.  II,  lirovdaoufzev — elsewhere  rendered,  be  diligent, 
!•  2  Pet.  i.  5-1 1.  I  Is.  xxviii.  16.  §  Is.  xlix.  17. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MEMORIAL     STONES. 

^^'T^HESE    STONES    SHALL    BE    FOR   A    MEMORIAL 
A      UNTO  THE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  FOREVER." 
—{Josh,  iv.  7.) 

After  the  crossing  of  Jordan,  immediate  steps  were 
taken  to  keep  the  great  event  alive  to  all  coming  gen- 
erations. By  express  command  of  the  Lord,  twelve 
stones  were  carried  from  the  bed  of  Jordan,  where 
the  priests  had  stood,  and  were  set  up  at  Gilgal, 
where  the  children  of  Israel  lodged  that  night.  As 
the  song  of  Moses  preserved  the  memory  of  the  Red 
Sea  Crossing,  so  now  that  they  have  at  last  reached 
a  spot  which  is  not  to  be  left  behind  in  journeying, 
a  more  solid  memorial  is  to  bear  witness  to  the  won- 
derful works  of  the  Lord. 

The  lessons  to  be  learned  from  these  stones  of 
memorial,  are  more  simple  than  many  others  in  this 
history,  and  yet  of  too  much  importance  to  be  wholly 
slighted.  The  first  suggested,  is  the  duty  of  "  well 
remembering  "  whatever  the  Lord  has  done.  There 
are  steps  in  our  Christian  course  which  can  never  be 
repeated  in  act,  but  which  need  often  to  be  repeated 

(143) 


144  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

in  vivid  remembrance.  The  blessed  influences  of  a 
moment  may  thus  be  diffused  over  a  Hfetime.  It 
may  often  happen,  also,  that  the  significance  of  an 
act  not  fully  recognized  at  the  time,  may  so  grow 
upon  the  soul  that,  like  those  fruits  which  mellow  long 
after  they  are  gathered,  its  real  blessedness  is  tasted 
in  far  distant  years.  Indeed,  the  events  are  very  few 
which  assume  their  full  importance  at  the  time.  The 
thought  of  this  should  quiet  that  keen  regret,  which 
would  fain  transfer  to  the  past,  the  fuller  comprehen- 
sion of  the  present.  Mere  sentiment  might  thus  re- 
ceive a  finer  gratification  ;  but  still  all  really  solid 
and  substantial  uses  may  be  served  by  a  right  re- 
membrance. 

On  the  other  hand,  forgetfulness  of  our  past  bless- 
ings and  of  the  wonderful  ways  of  our  God,  is  un- 
speakable loss.  He  who  has  '^  forgotten  that  he  was 
purged  from  his  old  sins,"  has  lost  the  very  main- 
spring of  Christian  progress.  For  as  remembrance 
means  renewal,  so  does  forgetfulness  mean  forfeiture. 
A  lively  faith  will  always  be  blessed  with  a  clear  mem- 
ory, and  thus  forgetfulness  is  one  of  the  earliest  and 
surest  symptoms  of  unbelief.  ''  They  soon  forgat  His 
works,"  is  equivalent  to  saying  that  their  faith  had 
waned.  So  Jesus  upbraids  His  disciples  who,  after 
twice  seeing  the  multitude  fed  by  Him,  were  heard 
reasoning  because  they  had  no  bread — ''And  do  ye 
not  remember?"*     Throughout  the  Epistles  remark- 

*  Mark  viii.  i8. 


MEMORIAL   STONES.  I45 

able  stress  is  laid  upon  the  power  of  such  recollec- 
tion. St.  Paul  writes  to  the  Corinthians,  that  if  they 
kept  in  memory  that  which  he  had  preached  and 
they  received,  they  should  be  saved.*  And  to  the 
Ephesians,  seated  in  heavenly  places,  he  writes: 
"  Wherefore  remember  !*'  They  were  still  to  bear^ 
constantly  in  mind  that  they  had  once  been  far  off, 
and  were  made  nigh  only  by  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
Again,  how  earnestly  he  charges  Timothy,  "  Of  these 
things  put  them  in  remembrance."  Still  more  strik- 
ing are  the  words  of  the  Apostle  Peter,  who  an- 
nounces his  design  in  both  his  Epistles  to  be  this,  to 
"  stir  up  their  pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance."  f 
Well  taught  as  had  been  his  hearers,  and  profound 
as  was  his  own  knowledge  of  the  truth,  there  yet 
seemed  to  him  nothing  so  pressing  as  this.  *'  Where- 
fore," he  writes,  "  I  will  not  be  negligent  to  put  you 
always  in  remembrance  of  these  things,  though  ye 
know  them  and  be  established  in  the  present  truth. 
Yea,  I  think  it  meet,  as  long  as  I  am  in  this  taber- 
nacle, to  stir  you  up  by  putting  you  in  renienibrqnce. 
Moreover,  I  will  endeavor  that  ye  may  be  able  after 
my  decease  to  have  these  things  always  in  remem- 
brance T  %  In  these  Athenian  days,  when  men  spend, 
their  time  either  in  telling  or  hearing  some  new  thing, 
and  even  in  the  house  of  God  listen  restlessly  to  old 
truth,  we  have  need  to  be   reminded  of  this  high 


*  I  Cor.  XV.  I,  2.  t  2  Pet.  iii.  i.  •        \i  Pet.  i.  12-15. 

7 


146  ^^-^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

authority  for  such  reiteration  of  it,  as  shall  keep  it 
always  in  mind.  And  it  is  safe  to  say  that  whenever 
the  truth,  as  already  heard,  has  been  assimilated, 
there  will  always  be  fresh  eagerness  to  hear  it  again, 
as  both  new  and  old.  It  is  through  such  constant 
remembrance,  that  faith  is  found  ripening  into  ever 
richer  experiences. 

As  to  the  significance  of  the  stones  themselves 
thus  set  up  at  Gilgal,  there  are  two  interpretations — 
not,  however,  in  conflict,  but  the  one  being  rather 
continued  and  completed  in  the  other.  We  may  re- 
gard them,  in  the  first  place,  and  with  reference  to 
the  foothold  they  supplied,  as  representing  the  word 
and  promises  of  God,  which  are  the  stay  and  support 
of  the  soul ;  and  then  in  their  fuller  meaning,  that 
same  word  as  embodied  in  the  risen  life  of  Believers, 
and  especially  in  the  twelve  Apostles. 

As  to  the  first  of  these  meanings,  we  have  to  note 
that  the  stones  were  taken  out  of  the  place  where 
the  priests*  feet  stood  firm.  To  hold  the  Ark  stead- 
ily up  before  the  eyes  of  the  people  who  looked  to 
this  as  their  security,  there  was  needed  firm  foot- 
ing— such  footing  as  could  be  found  only  on  a  rock. 
Doubtless  the  first  efforts  of  the  priests  would  be  to 
secure  this  standing.  And  whether  we  regard  the 
bearers  of  the  Ark  as  representing  Christ,  the  Up- 
holder of  His  own  Covenant,  or  as  still  further  signi- 
fying the  delegation  of  this  priestly  privilege  to  oth- 
ers—  what  in   either  case  could  give  firm  foothold, 


MEMORIAL   STONES.  jAy 

save  that  Word  of  God,  which  is  very  sure  and  very 
steadfast  ?  "  The  True  Sayings  of  God  " — "  The  ex- 
ceeding great  and  precious  promises  " — these  furnish 
a  firm  foundation  in  the  deepest  depths.  Brought 
out  of  the  horrible  pit  and  the  miry  clay,  the  feet 
may  be  set  upon  these  as  on  a  rock. 

Each  priest  stood  upon  his  own  stone,  and  then  a 
man  out  of  each  tribe  was  appointed  to  bring  up 
each  one  a  stone.  Their  distinctness  was  not  to  be 
lost  in  the  monument  as  a  whole,  for  the  question 
of  coming  ages  was  to  be,  "  What  mean  ye  by  t/icse 
stones  f  Practically,  it  is  not  upon  the  entire  revela- 
tion of  God,  but  upon  some  one  portion  of  it,  that 
each  man  takes  his  stand.  Any  one  of  the  promises 
appropriated  singly  in  an  hour  of  need,  will  yield  far 
more  support  than  a  general  conviction  of  the  truth 
of  all.  Because  there  is  always  some  promise  that  is 
not  only  secure,  but  precisely  adapted  to  our  present 
need,  and  which  while  it  does  not  distinctly  include, 
yet  powerfully  suggests  the  whole  Gospel.  Christian 
Biography  abounds  with  instances,  where  an  epoch  of 
life  was  characterized  by  the  vivid  apprehension  of 
some  single  saying,  out  of  all  the  many  words  of 
God. 

It  is  well  that  there  should  be  many  stones,  and 
many  witnesses  ;  that  as  human  needs  are  definite 
and  varied,  so  should  be  also  the  instrumentalities. 
Each  true  witness  for  God  can  only  bear  his  witness 
from  his  own  experience,  and   in  his  own  way  ;   and 


I4S 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


there  will  always  be  those  that  could  receive  no 
other.  Many  ropes  may  be  thrown  from  the  life- 
boat ;  it  is  salvation  to  grasp  but  one — the  nearest. 
Twelve  manner  of  fruits  grow,  each  in  their  season, 
upon  the  tree  of  life  ;  it  is  the  best  sustenance  for 
the  hungry  to  take  that  which  is  ripest.  By  twelve 
gates  will  the  holy  city  be  entered,  and  the  right  gate 
for  all  those  who  come  from  the  north,  and  from  the 
south,  from  the  east,  and  from  the  west,  is  that  which 
we  see  upon  our  own  side,  and  can  reach  by  the  short- 
est road.  And  so  while  there  are  twelve  stones,,  to 
each  his  own  stone  will  seem  the  strongest  and  surest. 
That  promise  of  God  in  which  he  first  clearly  finds 
the  resurrection-power  of  Jesus,  must  needs  be  the 
most  precious.  Again  and  again  will  he  prove  it. 
Like  the  sword  of  David,  it  is  that  with  which  he 
triumphed  at  the  first,  and  *'  there  is  none  like  tliatT 

As  these  stones  were  set  up  at  Gilgal,  and  they 
gathered  round  them,  on  that  most  memorable  night 
of  first  resting  in  the  land  of  rest,  how  naturally  would 
each  of  the  priests  point  to  his  own  stone,  and  say, 
*'  Upon  this  one  it  was  that  my  feet  stood  firm  ;"  while 
another  near  him  would  make  answer,  "  And  that  same 
stone  it  was  that  I  brought  up  upon  my  shoulder."  The 
joy  of  all  would  be  multiplied  by  the  special  joy  on 
the  part  of  each  ;  and  their  sense  of  possession  in  the 
whole  memorial,  be  heightened  by  the  fact  of  their 
peculiar  portion  in  a  part. 

It  would  furnish  a  most  interesting  study,  to  con- 


MEMORIAL   STONES. 


149 


sider  in  the  case  of  the  Apostles,  so  far  as  we  have  a 
record  of  their  faith,  what  it  was  that  was  the  per- 
sonal stand-point  of  each.  And  another  study  might 
be  made  more  complete,  in  considering  what  twelve 
true  sayings  of  God,  would  best  set  forth  the  manifold- 
ness  and  adaptiveness  of  His  truth ;  and  whose  feet 
also  they  had  stayed,  and  on  whose  shoulders  they 
had  been  carried  as  trophies. 

But  without  attempting  this,  let  one  stone  be  here 
brought  over,  and  set  up  as  a  memorial ;  not  only  be- 
cause personally,  exceedingly  precious,  but  also  because 
it  is  so  broad  that  the  whole  world  might  stand  there, 
if  they  would.  "He  that  spared  not  His  own 
Son,  but  delivered  Him  up  for  us  all,  how 
SHALL  He  not  with  Him  also  freely  give  us 
ALL  things  ?"  As  in  a  granite  rock,  glittering  with 
its  clear  crystals,  so  out  of  this  strong  logic  of  the  Gos- 
pel, there  flashes  all  the  light  of  love.  There  it  stands 
in  the  past — that  great  fact — that  Christ  died — died 
because  "God  so  loved  the  world."  Such  a  gift  once 
given,  what  else  shall  He  not  give ! 

"  Behold  His  greatest  gift  of  all  is  free. 
And  pledges  every  lesser  gift  to  thee  !" 

It  was  in  vain  that  Archimedes  sighed  for  his 
TTov  ord  from  which  to  move  the  earth ;  but  in  the 
marvellous  mechanics  of  Grace,  the  Cross  of  Christ  is 
that  stand-point  which  /las  been  given,  and  from  which 
He  will  yet  move  the  Universe.   There  we  may  stand 


1 50  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

in  all  our  weakness,  and  wait  and  watch  to  see  Him 
work  His  wonders.  And  to  what  a  climax  of  hope 
we  climb,  as  word  after  word  of  this  persuading  prom- 
ise sets  our  feet  higher  yet :  ''  How — shall  He  not — 
wit  J  I  Him — also— freely— give  us — all  things  f  *  How 
the  strong  arches  stretch  in  succession  over  the  whole 
wide  stream  of  judgment !  Or  rather,  we  may  behold 
it,  as  the  one  lithe  span  of  a  Sure  Salvation,  suspended 
over  the  chasm  sundering  earth  and  heaven,  and  let 
down  on  either  side  from  the  High  Towers  of  a 
Father's  and  a  Brother's  love ! 

This  sure  word  of  promise,  is  no  private  title  deed, 
but  the  broad  charter  of  all  who  claim  their  citizen- 
ship in  Heaven.  Every  one^  who  has  received  Christ 
at  all  as  a  Saviour,  may  go  on  to  receive  with  Hint 
all  things.  If  any  one  admit  the  least  flaw  in  this  title 
to  the  fulness  of  Grace  and  Glory,  he  at  the  same  time 
disallows  it  all^  and  must  stand  wholly  disinherited. 
For  with  what  consistency  can  he  who  claims  not  all, 
claim  anything  ?  "  All  THINGS  "— "  FOR  US  ALL  "— 
for  whom  Christ  died.  Such  is  the  substance  of  the 
Promise. 

"  All  things,  for  us  all."  Such  a  saying  should  silence 
forever  all  the  babbling  of  the  faithless,  who  still 
insist,  "  These  blessings  are  for  a  few,  not  for  all — not 
for  me."  But  God  has  graven  it  in  the  Rock  forever, 
"All  things  for  us  all."  Venture,  then,  timid 
traveller,  upon  this  sure  promise  of  thy  God. 

Here,  take  thy  stand  upon  the  Rock,  saying,  "  I 


MEMORIAL   STONES.  151 


can  do  no  other."  Make  this  thy  stepping-stone  into 
the  Land  of  Promise,  and  the  power  of  Christ's  Res- 
urrection. Make  this  also  thy  sure  foundation,  and 
there  uphold  the  glorious  Covenant,  in  the  eyes  of  all 
whose  feet  seem  ready  to  fail  for  fear.  Set  it  up  as 
thy  memorial,  and  keep  it  always  in  thy  remembrance. 
And  thou  Shalt  never  need  to  seek  for  any  other  stone 
upon  which  to  write  thy  Eben-ezer;  but  with  every 
coming  day,  thou  canst  still  say,  "  Hitherto  hath  the 
Lord  helped  me,"  and  so  set  to  thy  seal  that  God  is 

true.  • 

But  to  pass  on  to  the  fuller  significance  of  this 
symbol.   The  word  of  God  thus  proven  in  experience, 
becomes  embodied  in  the  life  of  the  Believer,     Each 
faithful  confessor  of  His  Lord  becomes  a  Rock,  and 
is  built  up  as  a  living  stone,  in  that  monument  which 
witnesses  to  the  power  and  wisdom  of  God— ///^  holy 
Church.     The  Resurrection  of  Jesus  was  followed  by 
the  setting  up  of  its  foundations,  and  as  it  -  groweth  to 
an  holy  Temple,"  it  is  the  truest  trophy  which  He 
exhibits  to  the  Universe.    Christian  Confession,  Chris- 
tian Character,  Christian  Conduct-these  are  the  true 
memorials  of  a  Risen  Saviour.     And  as  the  stones  at 
Gilgal  renewed  from  age  to  age  the  question,  "What 
mean  ye  by  these  stones  ?"-so  will  it  always  be  that 
such  a  life  will  suggest  the  deepest  searching  into  the 
ways  of  God.     Very  sweetly,  in  words  that  are  daily 
endeared  to  the  hearts  of  thousands,  has  this  great 
need  been  shaped  into  the  prayer,  ''  We  beseech  thee, 


^52 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


give  us  that  due  sense  of  all  thy  mercies,  that  our 
hearts  may  be  unfeignedly  thankful,  and  that  we  may 
show  forth  thy  praise,  not  only  with  our  lips^  but  in 
our  lives;  by  giving  up  ourselves  to  thy  service, 
and  by  walking  before  thee  in  holiness  and  right- 
eousness, all  our  days."* 

Meanwhile,  there  is  one  great  memorial,  that  has 
already  been  set  up,  and  that  has  stood  strong 
throughout  the  ages  —  twelve  goodly  stones  that 
have  been  marked  with  special  honor — the  Twelve 
Apostles  of  our  Lord.  Distributing  to  the  many 
members  of  the  one  body  their  gifts  and  offices, 
"  God  hath  set  in  the  Church,  first,  Apostles.''  Joined 
in  a  peculiarly  close  and  sacred  fellowship  with  the 
Chief  Comer-stone,  these  twelve  were  to  constitute 
the  first  solid  round  of  foundation  stonesf  which  in 
all  the  future  growth  of  the  Holy  Temple  could 
never  be  repeated.  The  Building  could  only  be  fitly 
framed  together,  by  every  other  stone  being  built 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets.:]: 


*  Book  of  Common  Prayer — General  Thanksgiving  of  Morning 
and  Evening  Prayer. 

t  Rev.  xxi.  14. 

I '"Ye  are  built  on  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets, 
Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner-stone  '  (Eph.  ii.  20). 
The  corner-stone  is  but  part  of  the  foundation,  though  it  be  the 
first  and  the  chief  part  ;  and  this  consoHdation  of  the  corner- 
stone with  the  adjacent  foundations,  as  one  basement  to  sustain 
the  building,  exhibits  in  the  plainest  manner  the  fact,  that  the 
Church,  m  respect  of  its  faith.,  rests  upon  a  testimony  which 


MEMORIAL   STONES. 


153 


Chosen  to  be  witnesses  of  Christ's  Resurrection,  they 
are  set  up  as  soon  as  their  Lord  has  passed  over 
through  death  into  life.  The  importance  of  their 
office  may  be  somewhat  measured  from  that  long 
night  of  solitary  prayer  on  the  mountain-top,  which 
preceded  their  call,  as  well  as  from  all  the  solemn, 
sacred  words  and  acts  of  their  subsequent  commis- 
sion. 

Were  our  Gospel  given  us  only  in  the  life  of  Jesus 
upon  earth — had  our  New  Testament  closed  with  the 
record  of  the  Evangelists — we  should  have  had  only 
that  which  "  Jesus  began  both  to  do  and  teach."  For 
its  completion  and  its  full  preparation  for  the  world, 
it  was  needful  that  it  should  be  wrought  out  practi- 
cally in  merely  human  lives.  It  was  fitting,  also,  that 
the  number  selected  for  the  first  exhibition  of  this  new 
power,should  be  the  same  as  that  so  often  chosen  by 
God  as  representing  human  instrumentality.  Twelve 
is  the  multiple  of  that  number  which  marks  the  Tri- 
une Being  of  God,  and  of  that  other  which  denotes 
earthly  expansion,  and  completeness  of  human  com- 
bination.*    Thus  both  Divine  and  human  factors  are 


was  delivered  partly  by  Jesus  in  person,  and  partly  by  the  agents 
whom  for  that  purpose  He  ordained.  Their  inspiration  as  be- 
lievers associates  them  with  the  whole  Church  ;  their  inspiration 
as  teachers  unites  them  only  with  their  Lord."— /?^r;/^irt/'^  Prog- 
ress of  Doctrine  in  the  New  Test.,  p.  125. 

*  See  page  194-5  of  Vol.  I.  of  Bahr's  "  Symbolik  des  Mosai- 
schen  Cultus  "  (Heidelberg,  1874.)  See  also  the  Introduction  to 
Lange's  Com.  on  the  Revelation  of  St.  John. 


1^4  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

seen  in  the  number  of  Instruments,  set  apart  by  God, 
for  working  upon  man,  through  man. 

Thus  then  were  the  Twelve  Apostles  set  forth  as 
our  examples — taken  out  of  the  common  quarries  of 
humanity,  even  out  of  its  roughest  regions — to  show 
before  the  world,  what  forms  of  God-like  manliness 
the  great  Sculptor  could  shape  and  polish. 

And  standing  first  as  ensamples,  they  are  also 
clothed  with  high  authority.  It  was  the  safety  of 
the  earliest  converts,  that  "  they  continued  steadfastly 
in  the  Apostles'  doctrine  and  fellowship."  It  is  still 
the  safety  of  the  Church,  even  for  such  as  are  "  proph- 
ets "  and  "  spiritual,"  to  acknowledge  the  things  which 
they  wrote  unto  us,  as  the  commandments  of  the 
Lord.* 

"  What  mean  ye  by  these  stones  ?  "  was  the  inquiry 
to  be  ever  incited  by  the  memorial  at  Gilgal.  And  a 
question  like  it  still  confronts  the  sceptic  and  the 
careless  —  What  mean  these  Living  Stones  —  these 
lives  of  Christ's  Apostles  ? 

What  mean  from  simple  peasants  and  fishermen 
such  dignity  and  grandeur  ?— out  of  a  nation  so  nar- 
row and  so  rigid,  such  breadth,  such  pliability  ?  — What 
mean  in  men  who  have  sheathed  the  sword,  a  zeal 
and  courage  that  no  warrior  ever  matched  ?  — :What 
mean  from  unlearned  and  ignorant  men,  those  torrents 
of  effective  eloquence  ?  — What  mean — we  will  not 
ask  the   "  signs,  and  wonders,  and  mighty   deeds/* 

*  I  Cor.  xiv.  37. 


MEMORIAL   STONES. 


155 


which  men  have  mocked  and  mimicked — but  that 
Patience,  which  is  the  foremost  sign  of  an  Apostle,^ 
whereas  no  enchantment  can  ever  "do  in  Hke  man- 
ner?"— What  can  they  mean  save  this,  that  Christ  who 
died  is  risen  again,  and  that  these  are  the  witnesses  of 
His  Resurrection,  each  of  whom  can  say,  "  Christ 
liveth  in  me." 

It  must  not  be  overlooked  that  while  these  twelve 
stones  upon  the  further  shore  constituted  the  great 
memorial,  twelve  other  stones  were  set  .up  in  the 
midst  of  Jordan  to  mark  the  place  where  the  Ark  of 
the  Covenant  had  gone  down  ;  and,  says  the  histo- 
rian, "  There  they  are  unto  this  day." 

For  never,  while  giving  testimony  to  '*  Jesus  and 
the  Resurrection,"  must  the  deep  valley  of  His  death 
be  forgotten.  The  Lord  Himself  has  taught  us  how 
we  should  behold  Him  now,  in  those  words  that 
opened  the  Apocalypse,  '^  I  am  the  Living  One  and 
I  BECAME  DEAD."  "  There  they  are  unto  this  day" — 
the  Agony  —  the  Trial  —  the  Cross — ^the  Tomb! 
There  it  was  that  He  stood  so  long  for  our  sakes 
that  He  might  bring  us  unto  glory.  Yea,  even  let 
Him  remain,  "  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain  in  the  midst 
of  the  Throne  !" 

So,  also,  in  that  Memorial,  which  would  be  robbed 
of  its  chief  blessing,  were  it  not  the  communion  of 
the  soul  with  an  ascended,  glorified  Lord,  how  clearly 
are  we  still  pointed  to  the  broken  body,  and  the  shed 

*  2  Cor.  xii.  12. 


J56  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

blood,  and  told,  in  tones  that  stir  a41  our  tenderest 
thoughts,  ''  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  me." 

It  may  be  permissible  to  regard  one  more  final 
lesson  as  suggested  by  this  latter  group  of  stones. 
Taken  as  they  were  from  the  Land  of  Promise  itself, 
and  carried  back  to  the  bed  of  the  river,  they  may 
set  forth  the  call  of  some  of  God's  servants,  to  a 
special  fellowship  in  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  for  His 
service  sake.  The  call  of  the  Apostle  Paul  was  thus 
marked, — "  I  will  show  him  how  great  things  he  must 
suffer  for  my  name's  sake." 

So  he  counted  not  his  life  dear  unto  himself,  that 
he  might  fulfil  his  ministry ;  and  thus  he  filled  up 
"  that  which  was  behind  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ," 
for  the  sake  of  His  Church. 

And  so  we  may  find  indicated  in  these  deep-sunkei» 
stones,  what  one  of  the  most  spiritual  of  the  German 
divines  has  spoken  of  as,  "  the  deep  principle  that  to 
every  vessel  of  grace,  and  especially  every  witness  oi 
the  Gospel,  suffering  is  inevitable  ;  and  that  the  meas- 
ure of  affliction  is  in  proportion  to  tlie  height  and 
dignity  of  the  vocation."*  To  all  His  disciples  Christ 
gives  His  seven-fold  Benediction  \\  but  he  has  an- 
other beyond  these,:]:  wherewith  to  crown  His  Kings 
and  Priests ;  that  suffering  for  righteousness'  sake,  they 
might  **  rejoice  and  be  exceeding  glad." 


♦  Rudolph  Stier,  "  Words  of  the  Risen  Saviour,''  p.  36. 
t  Matt.  V.  3-9.  \  Matt,  v,  10. 


MEMORIAL  STONES. 


57 


Ye  whom  God  honors  thus,  be  not  moved  by  these 
afflictions.  Let  your  hearts  be  comforted  by  the 
words  of  one,  who  knew  full  well  of  what  he  spoke, 
''  Unto  you  it  is  given  in  the  behalf  of  Christ,  not  only 
to  believe  on  Him,  but  also  to  suffer  for  His  sake." 
*'  It  is  a  faithful  saying.  For  if  we  be  dead  with  Him 
we  shall  also  live  with  Him  ;  if  we  suffer  WE  SHALL 
ALSO  REIGN  WITH  HiM." 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE     REPROACH     OF     EGYPT. 

"  AND  Joshua  made  him  sharp  knives  and 
^  circumcised  the  children  of  Israel. 
And  the  Lord  said  unto  Joshua,  This  day 
have  I  rolled  away  the  reproach  of  Egypt 
from  off  you." — {3^os/i.  V.  3, 9). 

The  first  experience  in  the  Land  of  Blessing  was 
to  be  one  of  pain.  As  the  people  had  needed  a  spe- 
cial preparation  for  passing  over  Jordan,  so  did  the 
larger  portion  of  them  need  a  further  preparation  for 
the  Conquest.  Upon  the  other  side  the  command  of 
God  had  been,  "  Set  yourselves  apart."  The  time 
had  come  to  carry  out  their  consecration.  The  cove- 
nant of  circumcision  was  to  be  renewed.  Through 
all  the  bondage  of  Egypt  it  appears  to  have  been  ob- 
served, and  nothing  marks  more  clearly  the  demor- 
alization of  the  wilderness,  than  its  utter  neglect. 
'*  Now  n//  tJic  people  that  came  out  were  circumcised  ; 
but  all  the  people  that  were  born  in  the  wilderness 
by  the  way,  as  they  came  forth  out  of  Egypt,  them 
they  had  not  circumcised." 
(158) 


THE  REPROACH  OF  EGYPT. 


159 


The  command  seems  very  stern — "  The  Lord  said 
unto  Joshua,  make  thee  sharp  knives  and  circumcise 
again  the  children  of  Israel ;  "  yet  it  marks  the  good- 
ness rather  than  the  severity  of  God.  He  was  thus 
renewing  for  them  a  Covenant  of  Blessing. 

The  first  consequence  of  this  covenant  had  been 
the  change  of  Abram's  name  to  Abraham,  as  now  to 
be  the  father  of  many  nations.  Ninety  years  old  and 
nine  when  he  was  circumcised,  he  must  suffer  in  his 
flesh,  before  the  promised  seed  was  given.  God,  who 
had  called  him  out  of  his  own  country,  that  He  might 
bless  him,  and  make  him  a  blessing,*  who  had  ap- 
peared again  as  his  shield  and  exceeding  great  re- 
ward, and  counted  his  faith  for  righteousness,f  now 
in  this  third  call,  summoned  him  to  walk  before  Him, 
and  to  be  perfect.ij:  He  had  led  him  up  step  by  step 
to  this  absolute  devotion  to  Himself,  and  so  finally 
gave  to  him  this  significant  token  of  the  covenant, 
which  He  made  with  him  and  his  posterity.  The 
penalty  of  disobedience  or  of  neglect  was  this — • 
*'  That  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his  people  :  he  hath 
broken  my  covenant." 

It  is  often  questioned  how  far  these  types  could 
be  comprehended  by  the  people  who  observed  them. 
But  in  regard  to  this  one,  it  appears  certain  that  its 
moral  import  was  seen.  We  find  all  along  the  record 
of  its  outward  observance,  a  contemporary  spiritual 


*  Gen.  xii.  1-3.  t  Gen.  xv.  1-5.  %  Gen.  xvii.  i-io. 


l6o  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

use  of  the  term.  Even  in  the  wilderness  Moses  called 
upon  the  people  to  "  circumcise  their  hearts  and  be 
no  more  stiff-necked  ;"  and  even  there  was  the  promise 
given,  "  The  Lord  thy  God  will  circumcise  thine  heart, 
and  the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thine  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  that  thou  may- 
est  live."* 

And  seeking  for  its  significance  to  us,  we  find  in 
perfect  accord  with  the  appeals  of  the  Old  Testament, 
the  teaching  of  the  New,  that  circumcision  is  of  the 
heart,  in  the  spirit  and  not  in  the  letter.  We  are 
shown  that  its  present  correlatives  are,  "  the  keeping 
of  the  commandments  of  God,"  "  faith  working  by 
love,"  and  "  a  new  creature."  We  are  told  that  "  We 
then  are  the  circumcision  who  worship  God  in  the 
spirit,  and  rejoice  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  have  no  con- 
fidence in  the  flesh  ;  "  and  that  in  our  "  circumcision 
made  without  hands,"  that  which  we  have  put  off  is 
''the  body  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh."  f  As  clearly  as 
God  commanded  the  shadow  of  things  to  come,  when 
He  made  this  special  covenant  with  Abraham,  so 
clearly  did  the  Lord  Jesus  reenact  its  substance,  when 
He  turned  and  said  unto  His  disciples,  "  If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 
his  cross  and  follow  me.  He  that  loveth  his  Hfe 
shall  lose  it,  and  he  that  hateth  his  life  in  this  world, 

*    Deut.  XXX.  6. 

t  See  I  Cor.  vii.  19;    Gal.   v.  6  and  vi.   15;    Phil.  iii.  3,  and 
Col.  ii.  II. 


THE  REPROA CH  OF  EGYPT  i 6t 

shall  keep  it  unto  life  eternal."  *  The  lesson  of  cir- 
cumcision then,  while  including  much  beside,  is  fun- 
damentally this — the  putting  away  of  selfism,  so  af- 
fecting a  radical  change  of  life,  by  substituting  for  the 
love  of  self  in  all  its  intricate  ramifications,  the  sin- 
gleness of  love  to  God.  The  process  changes  the 
very  polarity  of  our  nature.  In  the  world  at  large, 
''  all  seek  their  own,  not  the  things  which  are  Jesus 
Christ's."  But  the  heart  which  the  Lord  has  circum- 
cised to  love  Him,  "  seeketh  not  its  ozun.'' 

It  is  somewhat  startling  at  first,  to  find  such  a  scene 
of  suffering  over  Jordan,  since  it  would  seem  to  be- 
long rather  to  the  preparation.  But  the  order  in 
which  it  stands  is  certainly  in  accord  with  the  develop- 
ments of  Christian  life.  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Colos- 
sians,  St.  Paul  writes,  "  Ye  are  dead,  and  your  life  is 
hid  with  Christ  in  God  ;  mortify,  therefore,  your  mem- 
bers which  are  upon  the  earth."  The  first  working 
of  the  power  of  Christ's  resurrection  is  in  the  fellow- 
ship of  His  sufferings — His  love  of  necessity  con- 
straining us  to  die  unto  sin  and  self,  and  live  unto 
Him.  Only  as  we  take  our  share  in  His  life  and  in 
His  love,  can  this  be  possible ;  for  there  can  be  no 
such  thing  in  Christian  experience  as  the  mere  nega- 
tive abstinence  from  evil.  Only  a  living  and  loving 
soul  that  has  taken  firm  hold  of  the  promises  of  God, 
can  cleanse  itself ''  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and 
of  the  spirit."  No  one  would  ever  dream  of  attempt- 
*  Matt.  xvi.  24,  and  John  xii.  25. 


f62  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

ino-  to  remove  the  darkness  from  a  room,  without 
letting  in  the  light.  And  as  the  entering  of  the  light 
removes  the  darkness,  so  must  the  Spirit  come  to 
banish  self. 

Let  no  one  be  dismayed  in  the  first  joy  of  this  res- 
urrection life,  at  finding  that  a  painful  process  awaits 
him,  and  that  all  is  not  even  yet  left  behind.  But 
neither  let  him  think  that  there  can  be  any  further 
progress,  until  his  consecration  has  become  a  solemn 
covenant,  sealed  by  sacrifice.  He  must  neither  des- 
pair at  the  discovery  of  self,  nor  fail  to  let  it  be  cru- 
cified. 

Again,  let  none  think  that  we  are  able  to  do  this 
for  ourselves.  Jesus,  our  Joshua,  is  the  only  one  who 
can  cause  His  love  so  to  constrain  the  soul,  as  to 
remove  all  "  superfluity  of  naughtiness."  And  the 
sharp  knife  which  He  will  use  is  His  own  Word, 
which  is  "  quick  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any 
two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asun- 
der of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow, 
and  is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the 
heart." 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  for  us  to  understand 
that  whatever  of  self  still  exists  in  us,  it  can  by  no 
possibility  be  hidden  from  God.  It  is  naked  and 
open  unto  the  eyes  of  Him  with  whom  we  have  to 
do.  As  clearly  as  Jesus  read  the  hearts  of  those 
around  Him  when   on  earth,    thus   answering   their 


THE  REPROACH  OF  EGYPT.  163 

thoughts  rather  than  their  words,  so  clearly  does  He 
comprehend  every  undercurrent,  and  subtle  depth  in 
our  being  now.  We  may  be  self-deceived,  but  we 
can  never  deceive  the  Lord. 

And  very  rarely  are  they  deceived  who  walk  in  His 
light.  When  to  that  native  intuition  which  often 
reaches  far  below  the  surface,  there  is  added  any 
power  of  discerning  spirits,  the  true  standing  of  those 
with  whom  they  mingle  is  almost  sure  to  be  known 
— whether  self  be  living  or  slain.  How  foolish,  there- 
fore, not  to  say  how  sinful,  to  evade  that  knowledge 
of  ourselves  which  others  have. 

Christians  are  usually  ready  to  make  any  amount 
of  general  confession  of  sin ;  they  recognize  and  la- 
ment the  taint  that  is  found  everywhere  in  humanity. 
They  can  judge  their  own  sin  in  the  abstract ;  but  not 
always— not  often — are  they  ready  to  humble  them- 
selves, and  receive  the  message,  "  Thou  art  the  man'' 
The  Physician  rarely  finds  his  patient  offended  by  a 
simple  statement  of  his  disease,  but  how  few  who,  in 
the  sickness  of  their  souls,  seek  for  spiritual  counsel, 
are  willing  to  be  told  the  truth.  Thoroughly  aware 
of  some  difficulty,  they  think  themselves  ready  for  any 
sacrifice — for  the  removal  of  any  hindrance.  And  it 
is  no  difficult  task  for  one  accustomed  to  deal  with 
souls,  to  detect  that  special  form  of  self  which  is  their 
snare.  But  if  it  be  simply  and  honestly  stated,  of- 
fence is  taken  ;  it  is  denied  or  evaded ;  while  the  soul, 


164 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


to  shelter  its  wounded  pride,  affects  discouragement 
at  such  misunderstanding,  and  so,  by  its  own  wilful- 
ness, sinks  into  a  worse  condition  than  before. 

What  wonder  if  even  true  and  faithful  friends,  fore- 
seeing this,  hesitate  to  perform  an  office  which  will 
not  be  accepted.  It  is  a  fearful  thing  when  self  has 
grown  so  strong,  that  in  its  pride  it  ceases  to  wel- 
come the  truth.  What  if  God  also  should  be  un- 
willing to  force  it  upon  those  who  so  little  desire  it ! 
What  if  His  only  way  to  bring  us  to  the  knowledge 
of  all  that  is  in  our  heart,  should  be  to  leave  us,  that 
the  sin  which  lies  hidden  in  the  depth  of  the  heart, 
might  work  itself  out  in  some  bitter  humiliation  ! 

It  is  perfectly  certain  that  while  self  thus  remains 
alive,  there  are  many  of  the  very  richest  blessings, 
which  God  can  not  possibly  impart,  save  at  the  risk 
of  most  imminent  peril  to  the  receiver.  They  would 
be  perverted  at  once,  to  minister  to  the  life  of  self. 
This  is  the  most  common  cause  of  those  delays,  which 
so  many  experience  in  receiving  that  which  they  have 
asked — Self  is  not  slain.  Some  instances  of  this  kind 
may  be  very  perplexing,  since  such  secret  selfism  may 
coexist  with  much  zeal  and  outward  fidelity,  and  many 
striking  traits  of  Christian  character.  Especially  may 
it  coexist  with  the  stronger  elements.  The  strong 
man  is  lifted  up  because  of  his  strength ;  and  his 
heart  must  needs  be  changed  to  that  of  a  little  child, 
before  he  can  grow  again  in  knowledge  and  in  grace. 
Whoever  stands  self-sufficient,  even  in  God-given  wis- 


THE  REPROA  CH  OF  EG  YP  T.  \  65 

dom  and  strength,  has  lost  the  power  of  receiving 
more.  He  has  to  learn  that  men  never  grow — that 
only  the  child grozvs.  When  he  is  ready,  even  as  a 
little  babe,  to  desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word, 
then  will  God  restore  this  privilege  of  growth. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  instances  of  those  who 
pass  into  the  inner  courts,  to  behold  the  nearer  glory 
of  God,  with  an  ease  that  is  equally  perplexing  to  the 
superficial  eye.  Their  lives  are  not  at  the  time  purer, 
and  in  almost  every  respect  they  may  exhibit  less  of 
strength,  than  those  whom  they  outstrip.  But  they 
have  one  all-important  prerequisite,  simplicity  of  heart, 
'*  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom  is  no  guile !  " 
said  Jesus ;  and  ''  the  Jew  inwardly,"  whose  "  circum- 
cision is  that  of  the  heart,"  is  thus  ever  recognized  by 
the  Lord,  and  receives  praise  of  Him. 

The  least  portion  of  that  guile  which  is  even  more 
deceived  than  deceiving,  is  an  evil  root  in  the  soil, 
which  proves  the  most  difficult  of  all  things  to  eradi- 
cate. It  can  live  upon  so  little.  It  can  die  apparent- 
ly so  often,  and  yet  revive.  But  until  self  is  really 
removed,  and  we  come  down  below  all  pretence  and 
conceit  to  solid  ground — to  a  basis  of  entire  truthful- 
ness toward  God — how  impossible  to  be  solidly  built 
up.  As  well  might  one  venture  a  tower  above  a 
quicksand  ! 

Never  has  a  truth  of  God  been  so  travestied  as  this 
of  denying  sclf^  in  that  which  passes  usually  under  the 
name  of  self-denial — the  giving  up  of  the  most  that 


1 66  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

we  may  keep  the  dearest ;  the  denial  of  somewhat  to 
ourselves  instead  of  the  denial  of  the  whole  self  to 
God.  We  may  let  a  thousand  things  go  out  of  our 
life  and  die,  but  our  life  has  not  died.  The  world 
may  have  been  crucified  unto  us,  but  not  we  unto  the 
world.  We  may  possibly  have  parted  with  our  right 
hand,  or  our  right  eye,  but  still,  "  skin  for  skin,  yea, 
all  that  a  man  hath  will  he  give  for  his  life"  — a  fact 
well  known  to  Satan  who  said  it.  *'  Living  in  any- 
thing unto  ourselves,  even  in  the  best  things,  is  the 
essential  of  self.  When  self  is  dead,  its  own  heart 
ceases  to  beat ;  and  every  pulse  of  the  new  life,  united 
unto  Christ,  keeps  time  with  the  throbbing  of  His 
own  heart.  The  new  heart  which  He  has  given, 
finds  again  the  life  which  was  lost  for  His  sake, 
risen  and  glorified.  It  truly  lives  when  it  lives  unto 
God. 

What  shall  be  said  of  this  great  need  of  Christians, 
and  of  the  thousands  in  whom  self  is  still  alive?  How 
shall,  indeed,  any  intimation  of  their  need  be  given 
them  ?  How  rend  the  veil  of  good  works,  and  gifts, 
and  graces,  which  drape  and  beautify  this  secret  shrine 
of  self  ?  But  for  so  much  that  is  excellent,  one  might 
come  sooner  to  the  knowledge  of  the  evil.  In  the  lives 
of  not  a  few,  there  are  two  currents ;  and  we  need 
thoroughly  to  understand  that  the  under-current  is 
the  dangerous  one.  The  eye  that  judges  by  the  sur- 
face is  not  deceived — that  current  is  real  and  regular; 
but  as  you  enter  the  waters,  you  are  swept  along, 


THE  REPROACH  OF  EGYPT.  jg^ 

helpless,  by  the  fitful  force  below.  In  all  partially 
subdued  natures,  there  will  be  found  more  or  less 
of  the  contrary  of  their  chief  characteristics.  Are 
they  humble  in  converse  and  manner  ?  — A  secret 
pride  or  vanity  finds  a  rich  feeding-place  beneath 
that  humility,  and  some  sudden  outburst  of  jealousy 
or  envy  will  betray  it.  Are  they  energetic,  and  full 
of  stir  and  activity  ? — Somewhere  an  unwelcome  duty 
will  be  turned  into  a  couch  of  luxurious  ease.  Is  the 
whole  bearing  that  of  perfect  candor  and  frankness  ? 
— The  occasion  will  come  when  insincerity  will  cloak 
itself  with  these,  and  pass  unchallenged  in  its  disguise. 
Is  the  life  rich  in  its  nobility  and  its  generous  deeds  ? 
— Below  this  good  graft  will  spring  up  offshoots  of 
timidity  and  petty  meanness,  to  surprise  some  one 
long  wonted  to  the  sweeter  fruits,  with  the  crabbed 
taste  of  these.  Every  close  observer  of  unbalanced 
Christian  character,  is  prepared  to  find  the  faults  in 
this  marked  contrast  to  the  virtues,  so  that  whatever 
may  be  the  general  grain  of  the  growth^  a  sudden  knot 
breaks  through  at  the  sharpest  possible  angle.  It 
'  has  been  often  noticed  that  the  points  on  which 
many  break  down,  are  their  strong  points.  Even  in 
what  seems  the  most  assured  to  us,  we  have  thus  to 
"  have  the  sentence  of  death  in  ourselves,  that  we 
should  not  trust  in  ourselves,  but  in  God  who  raiseth 
the  dead." 

Such  are  some  of  the  subtleties  of  self,  which  only 
the   most   piercing   Eye   can  fully  see,  and   only  the 


1 68  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Hand,  that  is  infinitely  tender,  as  well  as  true,  re- 
move. 

But  there  are  other  more  prominent  and  shameful 
forms  of  self,  which  prevail  throughout  the  Churches. 
Among  these,  we  may  number  that  worldliness 
which  is  everywhere  rampant ;  the  sensuality,  or  more 
refined  sensuousness,  which  are  asking,  "  What  shall 
we  eat,  and  what  shall  we  drink,  and  wherewithal 
shall  we  be  clothed?" — ambition  and  covetousness, 
which  have  never  yet  been  exorcised,  and  which  find 
their  way  into  highest  and  holiest  places  ;  that  con- 
formity to  custom,  which  is  accepted  as  such  a  matter 
of  course,  that  little  room  is  left  for  asking,  "  Lord, 
what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do  ?** — but  their  name  is 
legion  !  Sad  as  is  the  statement,  such  is  beyond  all 
question  the  prevalent  state  of  Christians. —  Uncirciim- 
ciscd  i7i  heart — the  self-denial  which  we  witness,  being 
too  often  either  special  and  spasmodic  on  the  one 
hand,  or  on  the  other,  so  ascetic  as  only  to  minister 
to  spiritual  pride. 

Such  is  the  reproach  of  Egypt  which  God  sum- 
mons us  to  roll  away — the  merited  reproach  that  the 
old  and  evil  nature  is  still  visible,  and  that  Christians 
are,  after  all,  very  much  like  others.  Even  amongst 
themselves,  how  utterly  incomplete  is  the  confidence 
which  they  can  place  in  one  another.  Notwithstand- 
ing all  that  is  lovely  and  of  good  report,  how  constant 
is  the  reproach. 

In  one  of  the  Messianic  psalms,  we  find  a  crjr  that 


THE   REPROACH  OF  EG\PT. 


169 


only  falls  short,  in  its  sorrow,  of  the  "  lama  sabacthani  " 
of  the  Cross,  "  Remember,  Lord,  the  reproach  of 
thy  servants ;  how  I  do  bear  in  my  bosom  the  re- 
proach of  all  the  mighty  people;  wherewith  Thine 
enemies  have  reproached,  O  Lord,  wherewith  they 
have  reproached  the  footsteps  of  Thine  anointed."  *i 
Alas !  that  it  should  be  His  ow7i  anointed — that  such 
should  be  the  stains  upon  hearts  and  lives  sprinkled 
by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  consecrated  by  the  holy 
oil  of  the  Spirit.  God  chose  His  people  to  be  to 
Him  for  a  name  and  an  honor,  and  behold  the  re- 
proach ;  He  called  them  to  be  holy,  and  behold  th«= 
corruption. 

Of  old  the  nationality  of  Israel  was  to  be  kept 
perfectly  distinct.  Yet  it  was  not  to  be  a  nationality 
solely  of  birthright  and  of  blood,  for  the  circumcised 
stranger  was  to  be  as  one  born  in  the  land.  So,  then, 
the  physiognomy  did  not  furnish  the  proof.  The  real 
tok.m  by  which  they  were  known  as  the  people  of 
God,  was  not  that  which  is  most  obvious,  but  that 
which  is  most  hidden.  And  yet  this  secret  separation 
to  God,  compelled  in  various  ways  a  separation  from 
others,  that  would  always  mark  them  openly.  The 
line  was  drawn  with  unmistakable  clearness. 

And  though  it  be  also  with  .us  "in  the  hidden  man" 
of  the  heart "  that  God  puts  His  seal — still  if  it  be 
there,  by  many  another  sign  the  world  will  know  it, 
and  we  shall  be  separate  from  the  world.    When  God 

*  Ps.  Ixxxix-  50,  51 
S 


1^0  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING, 

calls  upon  us  to  circumcise  our  hearts,  it  practically 
involves  this  also — ''  Come  out  from  among  them  and 
be  ye  separate,  and  touch  not  the  unclean  thing." 

The  Jew  has  always  been  known  as  such  at  once. 
But  can  we  as  easily  discern  the  Christian  ?  Here 
and  there,  "the  ointment  of  the  right  hand  bewrayeth 
itself."  But  how  many  who  have  professed  to  follow 
Christ,  make  themselves  almost  indistinguishable 
from  a  world  that  rejects  Him  ?  No  attempt  at  a 
merely  external  separation  avails.  Such  was  not  that 
of  Christ.  He  even  shocked  the  social  standard  of 
those  who  were  for  making  a  fair  show  in  the  flesh ; 
and  they  said  of  Him — "  This  man  receiveth  sinners 
and  eateth  with  them."  But  all  the  more  for  this 
was  He  '^  holy,  harmless,  undefiled — separate  from 
sinners!' 

When  the  Israelites  hastened  to  pass  over  Jordan, 
their  first  thoughts  as  they  looked  on  to  Jericho, 
must  have  been  of  immediate  battle,  and  of  drawing 
the  sword  upon  their  enemies.  Instead  of  this,  God 
gave  them  days  of  delay,  and  drew  the  sharp  knife 
upon  them.  Gilgal  was  their  first  encampment  in 
Canaan,  and  there,  where  they  had  set  up  their  monu- 
ment to  the  mercies  of  God,  and  then  presented  their 
bodies  as  living  sacrifices,  was  their  standard  to  re- 
main. Gilgal  appears  to  have  continued  to  be  their 
base  throughout  the  long  war  that  followed.  There 
must  have  been  a  moral  power  in  every  return  to 
that   spot,  where   they  had   first   rolled  together  the 


THE  REPROACH  OF  EGYPT. 


171 


memorial-stones — and  then  let  God  roll  away  their 
own  reproach.  He  was  their  God,  for  He  had  done 
wondrous  things  for  them  ;  and  they  were  His  peo- 
ple, for  they  had  given  themselves  to  Him.  From 
Gilgal  they  could  go  forth  again  and  again  to  conquer 
and  possess  the  land. 

Have  we  our  Gilgal? — Why,  then,  is  it  that  so 
much  of  our  service  and  warfare  is  uncrowned  with 
success  and  victory  ?  Alas  !  the  house  in  which  self 
has  any  dominion  is  a  house  divided  against  itself, 
and  can  not  stand.  And  the  Church  so  constituted, 
is  a  host  with  variance  and  rebellion  in  its  midst — 
weak  at  the  best,  and  often  in  the  very  thick  of  the 
battle  betrayed  unto  its  enemies.  If  the  Church  of 
Christ  would  follow  her  Lord,  as  He  goes  forth  "  con- 
quering and  to  conquer,"  let  her  be  truly  consecrated 
and  circumcised.  If  the  Christian  in  the  daily  con- 
flicts of  life,  would  first  learn  to  "die  daily,"  there 
would  never  an  enemy  stand  before  him.  But  let 
him  cease  to  wonder  that  he  does  not  come  off  vic- 
torious, if  he  is  saving  his  life  from  such  a  death. 

And  yet  it  must  needs  be  always  a  severe  expe- 
rience for  those  who  have  been  living  at  ease,  and  as 
they  have  tried  to  think  in  all  good  conscience  ;  very 
hard  for  those  who  have  been  held  in  high  honor  by 
their  fellow-men  ;  and  sharpest  of  all  to  those  who 
have  become  half-spoiled  by  facile  flattery,  or  their 
own  fatal  self-fondling  ; — upon  whose  ears  little  but 
praise  has  ever  fallen.     The  sharp  knife  of  God  as  it 


I  "2  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

touches  these,  will  seem  terrible  in  its  truthfulness. 
They  will  almost  demand  that  God  should  accept  the 
award  that  has  so  satisfied  themselves ;  and  so  strug- 
gling against  His  purpose,  they  prolong  their  suffer- 
ings. Would  that  they  only  knew  how  tender  and 
how  true  is  the  Hand  that  wounds  them!  Then 
they  would  neither  fear  nor  flinch  ! 

For  when  we  turn  from  the  negative  character  of 
this  symbol  to  the  more  positive  form  of  the  spiritual 
truth,  we  find  that  this  sharp  knife  is,  after  all,  only 
the  pruning  of  the  Husbandman,  that  the  old  decay- 
ing shoot  may  give  place  to  a  new  one  full  of  vigor 
and  fruitfulness.  It  means  not  a  maimed  existence, 
but  life  more  abundantly.  It  means  not  poverty, 
but  wealth.  It  means  not  anger,  but  intensest  love. 
It  means  that  the  one  deadly  element  eliminated,  God 
can  then,  without  any  reserve,  flood  us  with  every 
good  thing.  Self  is  often  the  only  evil  in  many  a 
pursuit  and  plan.  That  self  once  surrendered,  they 
may  be  restored  to  us  in  all  their  richness  to  use  and 
to  enjoy  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  to  our  owm  honor 
-  an  honor  that  cometh  from  Him.  And  yet  even 
here  must  a  signal  of  danger  be  held  up.  While  he 
that  loseth  his  life  shall  find  it,  it  is  not  when  we  lose 
it  that  we  may  find  it,  but  when  we  lose  it  for  His 
sake. 

It  is  our  own  Gospel,  then,  that  we  read  in  those 
ancient  words,  "The  Lord  thy  God  will  bring  thee 
into  the  land,  ....  and  the  Lord  thy  God  will  circum- 


THE  REPROACH  OF  EGYPT. 


•173 


cise  thine  heart  ...  to  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thine  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul,  that  thou  inaycst 
livey  * 

Life  is  another  thing  when  once  a  great  love  has 
entered  it.  Who  has  not  known  how  Love  turned 
pain  to  pleasure,  and  made  sacrifices  sweet  ?  Love 
never  talks  of  crosses  and  of  losses. — It  calls  its  losses 
gains,  and  its  crosses  crowns.  For  my  sake,  makes 
even  death  a  delight.  When  we  so  love  the  Lord 
with  all  the  heart,  then  to  follow  Him  fully  is  our 
own  choice.  There  comes  an  end  to  all  mere  theo- 
retical consecration,  in  which  we  recognize  solemnly 
the  claims  of  God,  and  pass  on  our  own  way.  There 
comes  an  end,  also,  to  all  testing  of  ourselves  by 
suppositions  of  future  claims.  But  another  work 
begins — the  constant  cultivation  of  the  conscience  to 
see  those  claims.  It  is  a  little  thing  for  Love  to  re- 
spond to  an  uttered  wish. — It  studies  and  anticipates 
the  pleasure  of  the  Beloved.  The  loving  heart  es- 
capes a  thousand  difficulties  which  others  meet,  and  a 
truly  devoted  life  is  not  often  puzzled  by  details  of 
duty.  Such  perplexities  are  often  the  simple  result 
of  a  discordant  will,  seeking  at  once  to  please  itself, 
and  avoid  displeasing  God.  The  soul  that  so  loves, 
walks  in  holy  law,  but  moves  in  perfect  freedom. 
When  the  Lord  has  enlarged  the  heart,  then  it 
"  runs  "  in  the  way  of  His  commandments. 


Deut.  XXX.  5,  6. 


174-  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

"  Love  hath  taught  me  to  obey 
All  His  precepts,  and  to  say, 
Not  to-morrow,  but  to-day  ! 

"  What  He  wills,  I  say  I  must ; 

What  I  must,  I  say  I  will ; 
He  commanding,  it  is  just. 

What  He  would,  I  should  fulfil : 
Whilst  He  biddeth,  I  believe  ; 

What  He  calls  for,  He  will  give  : 

To  obey  Him  is  to  live. 

"  His  commandments  grievous  are  not. 
Longer  than  men  think  them  so  ; 

Though  He  send  me  forth,  I  care  not. 
Whilst  He  gives  me  strength  to  go. 

When  or  whither,  all  is  one. 

On  His  business,  not  my  own, 

I  shall  never  go  alone. 

*'  If  I  be  complete  in  Him, 

And  in  Him  all  fulness  dwelleth, 

I  am  sure  aloft  to  swim. 
Whilst  that  Ocean  overswelleth  ; 

Having  Him  that's  all  in  all, 

I  am  confident  I  shall 

Nothing  want  for  which  I  call." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE     PASSOVER    IN     CANAAN. 

*'n^HE  CHILDREN  OF  ISRAEL  ENCAMPED  IN 
-l  GiLGAL,  AND  KEPT  THE  PASSOVER  ON  THE 
FOURTEENTH  DAY  OF  THE  MONTH  AT  EVEN,  IN 
THE   PLAINS   OF   JERICHO." — {Josh.  V.  lo). 

The  event  which  we  find  following  next  in  order, 
stood  in  a  very  significant  relation  to  the  preceding 
rite.  As  we  have  seen  that  circumcision  symbol- 
ized the  loss  of  self,  so  we  find  that  in  the  Passover 
Feast,  the  lesson  taught  is  one  of  greatest  gain — even 
the  gain  of  Christ  as  OUR  LIFE. 

It  was  a  part  of  God's  gracious  providence  to  bring 
the  people  over  Jordan  in  time  to  be  rightly  prepared 
for  the  Feast ;  for  the  law  was  stringent — "  No  un- 
circumcised  person  shall  eat  thereof;""^  for  let  it  be 
again  repeated,  there  can  be  no  building  up  of  an 
impure  life;  no  true  communion  with  God,  while  in 
the  bonds  of  self. 

And  as  the  Passover  thus  depended  upon  another 
rite,  so  were  there  still  further  privileges  depending 
upon  this.     This  Feast  was  to  precede  their  enjoy- 

*  Ex.  xii.  48. 

(175) 


1-5  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

mcnt  of  the  fruit  of  the  land,  of  which  they  v/ere 
not  permitted  to  eat  until  the  following  day.  Hav- 
ing crossed  upon  the  tenth  of  the  month  Nisan,  they 
kept  the  Passover  upon  its  appointed  day,  the  four- 
teenth :  "  and  they  did  eat  of  the  new  corn  of  the 
land  on  the  morrow  after  the  Passover."  *  It  is 
added  that  ''  the  manna  ceased  on  the  morrow  after 
they  had  eaten  of  the  new  com."  f  Its  continuance 
for  nearly  a  week  in  a  land  of  plenty,  is  a  circum- 
stance so  extraordinary,  as  to  indicate  at  once  some 
spiritual  lesson.  Indeed,  the  necessity  for  it  must 
have  ceased  long  before,  upon  entering  the  fertile 
region  east  of  Jordan.  But  still  it  fell  for  their  daily 
food,  until  the  slain  Lamb  and  unleavened  Bread 
should  rightly  introduce  them  to  the  fulness  and  fat- 
ness of  the  Land.  First  the  Passover,  and  then  the 
new  corn  and  the  ripe  fruit.  First  Christ,  and  then 
with  Him,  ''  all  things." 

Though  forty  years  had  passed  since  that  night  in 
Egypt  which  was  so  much  to  be  remembered,  this 
was  but  the  third  Passover.  The  first  they  had  eaten 
in  haste,  girded  for  their  journey.  The  second  was 
observed  a  year  from  that  time,  upon  the  setting  up 
of  the  Tabernacle  at  Mt.  Sinai.  After  that  the 
neglect  of  circumcision  and  their  whole  abnormal 
condition  in  the  Wandering,  would  render  the  Feast 
both  inappropriate  and  impossible.  No  hint  of  any 
such  observance  appears  upon  the  sacred  page. 
♦  Josh.  V.  II.    See  p.  200.  t  Josh.  v.  12. 


THE  PASSOVER    IN    CANAAN. 


177 


It  is  very  striking  that  this  first  service  after  enter- 
ing Canaan,  in  which  all  the  people  participated,  was 
the  same  as  that  which  had  signalized  their  depart- 
ure from  Egypt.  That  first  deliverance  had  alone 
made  their  present  blessings  possible.  Therefore  it 
had  been  said  unto  them,  "  Ye  shall  observe  this 
thing  for  an  ordinance  to  thee  and  to  thy  sons  for- 
ever. .  .  .  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  when  your  chil- 
dren shall  say  unto  you.  What  mean  ye  by  this  serv- 
ice ?  that  ye  shall  say,  It  is  the  sacrifice  of  the  Lord's 
passover,  who  passed  over  the  houses  of  the  children 
of  Israel  in  Egypt,  when  he  smote  the  Egyptians, 
and  delivered  our  houses."* 

When  the  Lord  smote  in  judgment  all  the  first- 
born of  Egypt,  but  for  the  sprinkled  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  they  had  all  likewise  perished.  But  for  the 
sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  none  of  us 
had  ever  escaped  from  the  just  judgment  to  be  exe- 
cuted against  sin.  It  was  life  from  the  very  jaws  of 
death  that  was  given  us.  And  so,  as  we  celebrate 
the  mercies  of  our  God,  we  can  not  stop  short  of  this, 
that  ''  Jesus  delivered  us  from  the  wrath  to  come." 
Nothing  so  prepares  us  for  advancing  blessing  as  our 
return  to  this  truth  ;  and  by  every  good  thing  that 
is  given  us,  does  this  become  ever  more  precious.^  No 
other  thought  can  so  humble  us,  and  none  other  can 
so  lift  us  up  in  holy  hope. 

This  Passover  in  Canaan,  however,  differed  widely 

*  Ex.  xii.  24-27. 
8* 


1^8  THE   FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

in  its  mode  of  observance  from  the  first  in  Egypt. 
Indeed,  the  whole  subsequent  character  of  the  Feast 
is  one  of  the  most  striking  instances  occurring  under 
the  Law,  of  the  spirit  of  a  command  being  so  devel- 
oped as  to  almost  outgrow  its  letter.  The  Lamb  and 
the  Unleavened  Bread  indeed  remained.  But  glanc- 
ing over  the  details  of  its  institution,  we  see  at  once 
that  the  minute  directions  given  were  mainly  adapted 
to  their  peculiar  position  at  the  time,  and  if  perpetu- 
ated at  all,  could  only  become  mere  forms.  Yet  we 
find  in  the  Scriptures  no  record  of  any  permission  to 
vary  its  observance,  and  only  slight  and  scattered 
statements  of  the  changes  themselves.  But  from 
unquestionable  historic  sources,  we  learn  how  many 
and  how  marked  were  the  modifications  introduced, 
and  to  all  appearance  divinely  sanctioned.  Indeed 
the  great  truth  embodied  in  this  service,  was  too  vital 
to  be  cumbered  with  unyielding  forms,  and  for  its 
Ycry  protection  was  allowed  a  power  of  free  adapta- 
tion. All  that  was  truly  essential  in  it  was  thus 
strengthened,  rather  than  weakened. 

Had  the  Church  of  Christ  in  past  ages  only  pon 
dered  this  precedent  more  fully,  what  ctuel  contests 
over  the  mere  modes  of  her  Christian  ordinances, 
might  she  have  been  spared.  And  were  it  even  now 
more  pondered,  what  bitter  bigotiy  might  be  abated. 
No  charge  concerning  any  ordinance,  can  surely  ever 
compete  with  words  like  tb^se  —  "This  is  my  com- 


THE  PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN.  179 

mandment,  That  ye  love  one  another,  as  I  have  loved 
you  ! " 

As  the  service  was  first  observed,  the  two  things 
to  be  made  prominent  were  these — protection  from 
death,  and  departure  from  Egypt.  But  once  safe  in 
the  Land,  there  followed  an  expansion  of  its  mean- 
ing, requiring  to  be  duly  marked.  No  longer  need- 
ing to  be  eaten  in  haste,  it  became  a  prolonged  and 
restful  service.  No  longer  looking  to  the  future,  but 
to  the  past,  and  what  God  had  wrought,  it  was  fitting 
to  intermingle  it. with  song  after  song  of  praise. 
How  precious  from  such  continuous  use  are  those 
six  Psalms,*  which  end  with  one  more  precious  than 
all,  because  sung  by  Jesus,  before  He  went  forth  to 
suffer.  How  must  the  holy  Hymn  have  swelled 
upon  His  lips,  as  He  sang — "  I  shall  not  die,  but  live, 
and  declare  the  works  of  the  Lord  " — ''  God  is  the 
Lord  which  hath  showed  us  light ;  bind  the  sacrifice 
with  cords  even  unto  the  horns  of  the  altar."  f 

But  by  far  the  most  striking  change  was  the  intro- 
duction of  the  wine,  of  which  the  very  poorest  in  the 
land  was  to  drink  at  least  four  cups,  in  the  course  of 

*  Pss.  cxiii.-cxviii.— These  Psalms,  called  the  Eg^'ptian  Halle), 
or  the  great  Hallel,  were  appointed  to  be  sung  eighteen  times  in 
the  year.  "  On  the  feast  of  the  Passover,  the  hallel  was  so  di- 
vided, that  Pss.  cxiii.  and  cxiv.  were  sung  before  the  meal,  be- 
fore taking  the  second  festal  cup ;  Pss.  cxv-cxviii.,  after  the 
meal,  after  filling  the  fourth  cup." — Dr.  Moll's  Introduction  to 
the  Psalms,  Langes  Com.,  p.  13. 

t  Ps.  cxviii.  17,  27. 


I  So 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


the  meal  *  The  blood  which  at  first  was  sprinkled 
upon  their  doors,  was  subsequently  poured  out  at  the 
altar  by  the  Priest ;  but  that  it  might  not  fail  of  its 
commemoration  at  the  feast,  wine,  the  symbol  of 
social  joy,  was  permitted  to  represent  it ;  thus  fitly 
marking  the  advance  from  protection  without,  to  life 
and  joy  within.  And  thus  was  made  ready  in  its 
completeness,  the  symbol  which  the  Lord  Jesus  used 
when  He  took  the  cup  after  supper,  saying,  "This 
cup  is  the  new  testament  in  my  blood,  which  is  shed 
for  you."  f 

In  tracing  this  chief  Feast  of  the  old  Covenant,  on 
to  this  "  new  testament,"  and  viewing  it  as  there  ful- 
filled, we  find  not  mere  instruction,  but  truth  of  the 
most  vital  kind.  As  in  so  many  previous  lessons,  it 
is  still  Jesus  and  the  Resurrection  that  are  here  pro- 
claimed ;  but  now  in  an  entirely  new  aspect.  We 
saw  in  Jordan,  a  symbol  of  Christ's  death,  through 
which  we  rise  into  His  life.  In  the  Land  of  Promise 
we  saw  a  symbol  of  His  fulness,  into  which  we 
rise.  But  in  the  Passover,  we  begin  to  see  how  it  is 
that  He  rises  in  us.  The  Lord  Jesus  is  that  corn  of 
wheat  that  having  fallen  into  the  ground  and  died,  is 
l^cre^cen  springing  up  again,  no  more  "  abiding  alone," 

♦  "There  is  no  mention  of  wine  in  connection  with  the  Pass- 
over in  the  Pentateuch  ;  but  the  Mishna  strictly  enjoins  that  there 
should  never  be  less  than  four  cups  of  it  provided,  at  the  paschal 
meal,  even  of  the  poorest  Israelite."— Sw/V/^'j  Dictionary  of  the 
Bible.  -^  -^ 

t  I-uke  xxii.  20. 


THE  PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN.  igj 

but   "  bringing  forth  much  fruit "  in  all   those  many 
lives  that  make  up  the  Church  as  His  Body. 

We  enter  here  upon  holy  ground — upon  one  of  the 
profoundest  mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  which  even  as 
taught  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  gave  rise  to  misunder 
standing,  and  offence,  and  the  turning  back  of  many ; 
but  which  is  all  the  more  precious  to  those  who  know 
that  He  "  has  the  words  of  eternal  life." 

While  it  is  impossible  to  separate  this  subject  from 
that  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  it  is  most  needful  to  draw 
one  clear  line  of  distinction.  "  The  spiritual  verity 
which  underlies  the  ordinance "  is  not  indissolubly 
connected  with  it.  The  Passover  was  by  no  means 
the  symbol  of  another  symbol,  but  of  a  great  Reality. 
Gliding  as  one  ordinance  did  into  the  other,  it  was 
the  same  truth  which,  taught  first  in  the  ceremony 
of  the  Law,  was  to  find  its  highest  and  richest  expres^ 
sion  in  the  Church's  celebration.  For  closely  as  it 
pleased  the  Lord  to  connect  the  substance  and  the 
symbol.  He  has  not  liinitedth.Q  one  by  the  other.  The 
same  wisdom  that  appointed  an  outward  form  for  the 
spiritual  truth,  that  we  might  have  every  help,  pro- 
vided against  any  possible  hindrance,  by  giving  that 
truth  a  life  that  was  dependent  upon  no  form. 

The  safeguard  against  any  such  confounding  of 
things  that  differ,  is  set  very  clearly  in  the  Scriptures. 
St.  John  in  his  Gospel  gives  us  the  inner  aspect  of 
this  truth,  as  taught  by  Christ  in  His  wonderful 
words  about  His  flesh  and  blood,  and  then  i?  utterly 


1 82  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

silent  respecting  the  institution  of  the  Supper, — leav- 
ing the  other  Evangehsts  to  give  the  corresponding 
outward  aspect.  Precisely  as  elsewhere,  it  is  the 
New  Birth  which  He  presents,  and  not  the  corre- 
sponding rite  of  Baptism.  It  is  the  more  needful 
to  draw  this  distinction,  since  there  is  great  reason  to 
fear,  that  not  a  few  Christians  have  been  robbed  of 
one  of  the  most  precious  presentations  of  Truth,  b}^ 
falsely  connecting  it  with  Sacramentarianism.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  seems  not  a  little  singular  that 
profoundly  spiritual  as  is  this  truth,  the  cry  of  Mate- 
rialism has  been  so  often  raised  against  it.  Plainly 
in  the  case  of  the  Jews,  who  first  charged  Christ  with 
such  a  meaning,  it  was  their  own  materialism  which 
led  to  their  utter  misapprehension  of  that  which 
could  only  be  spiritually  discerned. 

The  significance  of  the  Passover  (and  much  more 
the  Lord's  Supper)  can  not  possibly  be  stinted  to  a 
viemorial  service.  Some  present  participation  is  ver>' 
plainly  implied,  while  the  starting-point  is  that  of  a 
grateful  remembrance.  "  It  is  a  night  to  be  much 
observed  unto  the  Lord  for  bringing  them  out  of  the 
land  of  Egypt.  This  is  that  night  of  the  Lord  to  be 
observed  of  all  the  children  of  Israel  in  their  genera- 
tions." But  if  the  observance  of  this  service  forever, 
was  simply  to  keep  the  past  in  remembrance,  there 
was  no  significance  in  its  chief  symbol.  With  the 
blood  upon  their  doors,  they  ate  of  the  Passover 
Lamb.     Even  in   Egypt,  they  were  shown  at  once, 


THE   PASSOVER   IN   CANAAN.  183 

that  there  was  to  be  an  inward  appropriation  of  their 
sacrifice.  That  which  had  saved  from  death,  was  also 
to  impart  to  them  life  and  strength  ;  and  as  already 
stated,  this  idea  would  be  still  further  developed 
upon  the  subsequent  introduction  of  the  wine.  So 
likewise  in  the  Supper,  the  remembrance  is  made  the 
basis  of  other  blessings,  as  it  also  furnishes  the  chief 
ground  of  obligation — "  This  do  in  remembrance  of 
me."  First  of  all,  the  Lord  would  have  us  turn  our 
eyes  to  the  broken  body,  and  the  shed  blood.  Not 
even  in  heaven  are  we  to  cease  from  this  remem- 
brance ;  for  there  indeed  we  shall  come  still  more 
clearly  to  the  recognition  of  His  death.  In  the  midst 
of  the  Throne  we  shall  see  "  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been 
slain;''  and  the  new  song  of  heaven  will  open  with 
the  dear  familiar  wo  ds  of  many  an  old  song  on 
earth, — "  Thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to 
God  by  Thy  blood ;"  while  the  chorus  of  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand  will  repeat  it, — "  Worthy 
IS  THE  Lamb  that  was  slain."* 

But  remembrance  is  not  to  be  repetition.  We  are 
to  recall  the  great  salvation,  rather  than  to  reclaim 
it,  and  thus  to  reassure  our  hearts  before  God.  Christ 
has  no  need  to  offer  Himself  often,  since  He  has 
offered  one  sacrifice  for  sins  forever ;  and  they  whose 
sins  and  iniquities  He  remembers  no  more,  can  have 
now  no  more  conscience  of  those  sins,  the  one  remis- 
sion of  which  is  as  sure  as  the  one  offering.^     Only 

*  Rev.  V.  6-12.  t  Heb.  x.  18. 


r84 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


once  do  we  keep  our  Passover  in  Egypt,  with  the 
blood  sprinkled  upon  our  doors.  There  was  never 
indeed  but  one  Passover ;  and  after  that  it  was  the 
Feast  of  the  Passover. 

What  then  is  our  present  privilege  in  this  remem- 
brance— our  participation  of  Christ  ?  Is  it  real,  or 
only  ideal  ?  Is  the  cup  a  testimony,  or  a  Testament? 
And  if  He  indeed  gives  aught,  or  we  receive  aught, 
what  is  it,  and  in  what  manner  is  it  given  and  re- 
ceived ?  The  Scriptures  make  answer,  that  Christ  our 
Passover  gives  us  Himself — that  is.  He  gives  His 
entire  being — gives  us  His  Spirit,  and  gives  us  also, 
^^ His  flesh  and  His  bloods 

But  here  v/e  find  ourselves  touching  upon  other 
truths,  which  must  be  accepted  as  preliminary  to  this, 
and  to  which  the  Scriptures  give  no  uncertain  testi- 
mony. First  among  these  is  the  new  relation,  estab- 
lished by  Christ,  between  matter  and  spirit,  which  Is 
the  very  significance  of  the  Incarnation.  "  The  Word 
was  made  FLESH."  Next,  but  closely  linked  with 
this,  is  the  glorification  of  Christ's  human  body ;  and 
then  as  the  result  of  this,  the  final  glorifying  of  our 
own.  These  are  not  speculations,  else  were  the  Scrip- 
tures silent  respecting  them  ;  and  the  reasoning  which 
recoils  from  them,  ends  consistently  in  the  refusal 
to  confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  has  come  in  the  flesh, 
in  any  true  sense.  Indeed  it  is  to  be  seriously 
questioned  if  the  doctrine  of  the  Incarnation  itself  be 


THE  PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN. 


85 


generally  and  fully  received  in  our  day — if  many  have 
not  drifted  into  a  sort  of  Gnosticism,  with  its  dual- 
ism, and  docetism. 

When  the  chasm  between  the  Divine  and  human 
was  to  be  filled,  the  first  step  in  the  great  mystery, 
whose  completion  was  to  be  "  Christ  in  you,  the  hope 
of  glory,"  was  this  — "  Who  was  manifested  in  the 
flesh."  Coming  into  the  world  He  saith — "  A  body  hast 
Thou  prepared  me."  That  body,  formed  by  the  over- 
shadowing of  the  Highest,  was  a  holy  thing,  and 
therefore  having  in  it  "  the  power  of  an  endless  life." 
It  had  no  need  for  itself  to  pay  by  death  the  wages 
of  sin.  No  man  took  that  life  from  Jesus — He  laid  it 
down  of  Himself — laid  it  down  that  He  might  take  it 
again.*  Yet  it  was  not  possible  for  Him  to  be  holders 
of  the  bands  of  death,  nor  did  God  suffer  His  Holy 
One  to  see  corruption.  The  Scriptures  put  this 
point  beyond  all  dispute,  by  repeated  assertions.f 
"  He  whom  God  raised  again  saw  no  corruption  " — 
*'  Neither  did  Y{\?>  flesh  see  corruption ;  "  and  the  pre- 
cious  blood  oi  Christ  is  especially  declared  not  to  be  a 
corruptible  thing.;]:  The  resurrection  from  the  dead 
declared  Him  to  be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  "  ac~ 
cording  to  the  Spirit  of  holiness !'  It  was  a  Body  still, 
with  flesh  and  bones,  that  might  be  seen  and  handled, 


*  John  X.  17,  1 8.  t  Cf.  Acts  ii.  27-31  and  xiii.  34-37. 

\  I  Pet.  i.  18,  19. 


1 36  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

and  yet  moving  with  all  the  freedom  of  a  Spirit— 
"  showing  Himself  alive  by  many  infallible  proofs."* 
Had  there  been  no  deeper  meaning  in  the  Resurrec- 
tion than  an  evidence^  the  manifestation  in  the  flesh 
might  have  ended  here,  and  the  body  have  been  put 
away,  when  He  ascended  up  where  He  was  before. 
But  the  blessed  mystery  goes  further — "  Was  received 
up  into  glory."  Into  what  glory  let  the  "■  Light  from 
heaven  at  midday,  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun," 
that  blinded  Saul  of  Tarsus,  while  it  answered,  "  I 
am  Jesus,"  tell  us  ;  even  as  the  Face,  that  had  once 
already  "  shone   as  the  sun,"  had  given   token.     It 


*  "  The  glorified  body  of  Christ  was  not  altered  as  regards  its 
fundamental  components  ;  it  was  the  sajne  body,  with  the  marks  of 
the  nails  and  the  wound  in  its  side,  but  in  a  new  spiritual  form  of 
existence,  and  therefore  standing  under  other  laws.  It  therefore 
appears  until  the  ascension,  when  its  transformation  was  com- 
pleted— as  an  elementary,  earthly,  material  body  ;  but  its  ele- 
ments are  no  longer  bound  by  space,  and  it  can  go  here  or  there, 
make  itself  visible  or  invisible — in  fact,  shape  itself  outwardly  ac- 
cording to  the  internal  will.  And  this  is  possible,  because  the  body 
is  spiritualized  through  and  through  ;  it  has  become  an  ade- 
quate expression  of  the  spirit  and  its  willing  instrument.  The 
body  no  longer  opposes  its  own  laws  (of  space,  gravitation,  mo- 
lion,  etc.,)  to  the  volitions  of  the  spirit ;  it  does  not  hinder  nor 
limit  them,  but  implicitly  obeys.  All  strife  is  at  an  end.  If  the 
spirit  will  to  transport  itself  to  any  place,  it  can  do  so  together 
with  the  body  ;  the  body  no  longer  hinders  it,  for  it  is  saturated 
with  vital  force  and  immortality.  This  is  what  the  Scriptures  (i 
Cor.  XV.  44-46)  call  a  spiritual  body  {adiia  nvevfiariKiSv),  in  con- 
tradisUnction  to  the  ''natural  body"  (ipyxtKov). — Christlieb's 
Modern  Doubt  and  Christian  Belief,  pp.  475-6,  (Am.  Ed.) 


THE  PASSOVER  IN    CANAAN. 


87 


was  evidently  the  whole  being  of  the  Lord,  in  that 
triple  division  which  the  Scripture  sanctions — of  spirit, 
soul,  and  body — that  rose  from  the  dead,  ascended, 
and  was  glorified.  But  this  last  Adam  being  "  a 
quickening  Spirit,"  is  the  great  Fountain-Head  of  all 
renewed  being.  Being  glorified.  He  shed  forth  His 
Holy  Spirit,  that  He  might  quicken  first  our  spirits, 
and  then  our  mortal  bodies  also.  As  it  was  His 
whole  being  that  was  glorified,  so  is  it  plainly  our 
whole  being  that  is  to  be  glorified  together  with 
Him* — even  as  it  is  our  "whole  spirit  and  soul  and 
body,"  which  are  to  be  "preserved  blameless  unto 
His  coming." 

And  now  we  advance  to  the  great  revelation,  that 
this  work  is  not  only  wrought  by  Him,  but  through 
His  ■^'•giving  us  Himself  as  the  Bread  of  Life!'  He 
has  taught  us  that  there  in  His  glorified  Being  a 
blessed  power  of  imparting  itself,  in  a  real  communi- 
cation of  both  spiritual  and  bodily  life.  We  surely 
can  not  keep  the  Feast — Christ  our  Passover  sacrificed 
for  us  —  with  any  spiritual  intelligence,  unless  we 
receive  in  simple  faith,  those  wonderful  words  in 
which  He  has  taught  us — "  He  that  eateth  Me,  even 
He  shall  live  by  mer\  The  many  words  which  the 
Lord  Jesus  used  in  that  most  memorable  discourse, 
are  not  so  much  restatements,  as  constant  advances, 
in  the  unfolding  of  the  truth. 

First  of  all  He  taught—"  I  am  that  Bread  of  life." 
*  Cf.  Romans  viii.  17  and  23.  +  John  vi.  57. 


1 88  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

They  who  had  eaten  the  manna,  died  ;  —  for  the 
manna  had  no  life— but  this  was  living  Bread ;  and 
he  who  should  eat,  should  live  forever.  Not  only 
should  have  now  everlasting  life,  in  his  renewed 
spirit,  but  Jesus  would  also  raise  him  up,  in  body,  at 
the  last  day!^ 

"  /  am  that  Bread  of  life."  It  is  to  His  own  Person^ 
that  Jesus  draws  our  eyes  in  His  promise,  "  that  every 
one  which  seeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  on  Him^'  shall 
have  everlasting  life,  and  be  raised  up  again  at  the 
last  day. 

But  He  had  further  truth  to  teach.  It  was  not  only 
of  His  giving  us  His  Spirit  that  He  spoke,  but  "  the 
Bread  that  I  will  give  is  my  fleshy  which  I  will  give 
for  the  life  of  the  world. "f     A  hard  saying  indeed  to 

*  "  The  natural  import  of  the  phrase  '  last  day '  restricts  this 
necessarily  to  the  bodily  resurrection.  Every  application  of  the 
expression  to  the  merely  spiritual  ministry  of  Christ  would  make 
it  a  mere  repetition  of  the  '  eternal  life.' " — Olshausen  on  John 
vi.  40. 

t  See  Dean  Alford's  Greek  Testament,  for  a  deeply  interest- 
ing note  on  John  vi.  51,  in  which  he  "  at  once  rejects  all  meta- 
phorical and  side-interpretations,  as,  that  the  teaching  of  Christ 
is  the  Bread,  and  to  be  taught  by  Him  is  feeding  upon  it  (so 
f  Grotius  and  the  modern  rationalists)  :  that  the  divine  Nature  of 
Christ,  or  His  sending  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  His  whole  life  of 
doin^  i(ood  on  earth,  can  be  meant :  all  such  have  against  them 
the  plain  sense  of  the  words,  which,  as  Stier  observes,  are  very 
simple  ordinary  words His  Flesh  is  the  gloritied  sub- 
stance of  His  Resurrection  Body,  now  at  the  right  hand  of 
God  ....  He  has  given  His  flesh  for  the  life  of  the  world 
(roC  Kcafiov).  The  very  existence  of  all  the  created  world  is  owing 
to,  and  held  together  by  that  Resurrection  Body  of  the  Lord." 


THE  PASSOVER   IN  CANAAN.  189 

listen  to — but  what  if  they  should  see  the  Son  of 
Man  ascend  up  where  He  was  before  ?*  What  if  He 
proved  that  His  sacred  flesh  was  worthy  of  the  pres- 
ence of  God,  and  subject  to  no  earthly  conditions  ?  It 
was  then  His  flesh,  in  its  resurrectioit  glory ^  of  which 
He  spoke,  when  the  Body  once  broken  should  become 
living,  life-giving  Bread. 

But  He  had  still  another  gift — His  blood — of  which 
He  next  began  to  speak.  "  Except  ye  eat  the  flesh 
of  the  Son   of  man,  and  drink  His  blood,  ye  have 

no  life  in  you He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and 

drinketh  my  blood,  dwelleth  in  me  and  I  in  him."t 


*  "  The  Lord  signifies  and  promises  here  2.  future  removal  of 
the  offence,  a  subsequent  better  knowledge,  when  His  present 
earthly  manifestation  should  be  finally  withdrawn  just  as  in  Ch. 

viii.  28 Then  will  it  be  disclosed  to  you  that,  and  in  what 

wxy  My  human  corporeity,  become  heavenly  and  glorified,  fnay 
be  given  to  be  eaten  and  to  be  druftk." — "  Stier's  Words  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,"  Vol  V.,  pp.  210-21 1. 

t  John  vi.  53-56.  Jesus  represents  Himself  as  the  quickener  of 
the  whole  man,  the  spiritual  quickening  prevailing  up  to  ver.  50, 
while  from  v.  51  the  idea  which  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  Holy 
Supper — that  the  glorified  corporeity  of  Christ  sanctifies  and  glo- 
rifies ours  also — comes  out  in  stronger  relief.  .  .  .  With  the  eating 
and  drinking  of  the  flesh  and  blood  of  the  Son  of  Man,  are  con- 
nected everlasting  life,  abiding  in  Christ,  and  living  forever,  '.  e., 
the  sublimest  effects  which  the  Redeemer  proposed  in  general  to 
call  forth The  life  and  being  of  Christ  is  an  all-penetrat- 
ing, sanctifying,  and  glorifying  power  ;  the  union  of  man  with  it 
in  all  three  departments  of  his  being  is  internal,  real,  essential." 
—Olshausen  s  Biblical  Com.,  Vol.  IL,  p.  418.  See  also,  the  same, 
for  the  view  of  the  early  Fathers,  and  also  Luther's,  concerning 
the  germ  of  the  resurrection  body. 


lOO  ^^^   FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

We  enter  here  a  path  which,  however  unfamiliar  to 
modern  thought,  discloses  to  the  spiritual  eye  a  glo- 
rious vista  up  to  the  very  treasure-house  of  Truth — a 
path  where  Saint  and  Scholar  have  walked  sicie  by 
side,  with  reverent  tread — where  we  meet  in  their 
holy  meditations,  such  men  as  Chrysostom,  and  Cal- 
vin, and  Bengel,  and  Stier  *  What  a  distance  from 
their  apostolic  ''  faith  in  His  blood  "  to  that  reason- 
ing which  sees  in  it  at  best  a  figure.f 

The  blood  of  beasts,  shed  for  so  many  years,  what- 
ever the  value  assigned  it  for  an  atonement  under 
the  Old  Covenant,  was  but  a  figure.  Not  so  when 
Jesus  said — "  This  is  My  blood  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment." "  The  blood  of  the  everlasting  Covenant  " 
was  a  true  thing.  As  has  been  said,  ''  the  unintelligent 
horror  of  the  blood,  which  unbelief  in  the  truth  of  God 

*  While  referring  freely  in  these  notes  to  Scholars  who  have 
taken  the  view  here  presented,  I  feel  bound  to  add  that  my  own 
convictions  were  formed  solely  from  the  study  of  the  Word.  It  was 
not  merely  a  surprise,  but  att  astotiishment  to  meet  with  such 
confirmation.  Most  heartily  can  I  re-echo  the  words  of  the 
saintly  Bengel,  "  I  shall  indeed  rejoice  if  by  means  of  the  things 
which  I  have  stated,  any  occasion  will  be  afforded  for  increasing 
the  love  and  knowledge  of  our  Redeemer,  who  has  paid  the  price 
of  His  blood  for  us." 

t  "  The/r(9/^r  consideration  of  Christ's  blood  is  sparingly  intro- 
duced, and  many  have  straightway  recourse  to  a  figure,  where- 
by they  understand  under  this  word,  blood,  either  the  whole 
merit  of  Christ,  or  His  life,  /.  e.,  the  living  principle,  or  soul." 
—Sec  Bengel's  Gnomon,  Vol.  IV.,  Clark's  Ed.,  where  he  devotes 
fifteen  pages  (474-4S8)  to  a  subject  on  which  he  once  meditated 
a  Treatise. 


THE  PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN.  igi 

in  the  Old  Testament  has  created,  is  here  done  away 
in  the  centre  of  the  Christian  worship,  in  this  most 
precious  bond  of  love  between  Christ  and  His  own."* 

As  has  been  already  seen,  we  need  here  to  keep 
steadily  in  view  the  glorification  of  the  entire  being 
of  Jesus.  The  blood  was  no  unimportant  part  of  that 
being  —  for  "the  life  of  the  flesh  is  in  the  blood. "f 
Besides,  be  it  repeated,  we  are  told  in  express  words, 
that  we  were  "  not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things, 
but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ  ":f — confirming  the 
truth,  that  He  whom  God  raised  up  saw  no  corrup- 
tion. Why  then  should  the  faith  that  follows  the 
ascending  body  of  Jesus  into  Heaven,  falter  when  it 
learns  that  the  blood  had  its  own  entrance  also  ?  In 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  we  are  told  how  the  High 
Priest,  once  every  year,  entered  into  the  holiest,  not 
without  blood  ;  and  then  how  Christ  having  come, 
entered  in  once  into  the  Holy  Place,  by  His  ozvn 
blood.  §    This  was  "  the  better  sacrifice  "  that  purified 

*  Stier.  t  Lev.  xvii.  ii.  J  i  Pet.  i.  i8,  19. 

§  Heb.  ix.  12.  "'Christ  entered  into  the  sanctuary  by  His 
own  blood ;  not  merely  after  the  blood  was  shed,  and  by  the 
force  of  its  being  shed,  nor  with  the  blood  taken  back  into  the 
body,  but  by  the  blood  :  therefore,  this  Priest  Himself  carried 
into  the  sanctuary  His  own  blood,  separately  from  his  body.'  .  .  .  ., 
(Chrysostom  Hom.33,  on  Heb.  xiii.)  :  The  actual  economy  of  the 
suffering  was  without,  I  say  without  ;  but  the  blood  was  carried 
up  INTO  heaven.  You  observe  that  we  are  partakers  of  the 
blood  that  was  carried  into  the  Sanctuary — the  true  Sanctuary — 
the  blood  of  the  Sacrifice  in  which  He  alone,  the  High  Priest 
delighted." — BengeVs  Gnomon,  p.  476-7.— In  the  same  passage 


IQ2  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

"  the  heavenly  things  themselves."  This  was  "  the 
blood  of  His  cross  "  with  which  He  made  peace.  Our 
own  confidence  to  enter  into  the  Holiest,  we  are  fur- 
ther told,  is  in  that  blood.^  Nor  need  it  surprise 
us  when  we  are  warned  a  little  further  on,  of  the  sore 
punishment  of  which  they  are  worthy,  who  "  count 
the  blood  of  the  covenant  an  unholy  thing."t 

As  has  been  said  by  Bengel,^:  "The  blood  itself 
shed,  not  the  shedding  of  the  blood,  is  the  ransom,  the 
J>rice  of  eternal  redejnption.  That  price  paid  to  God, 
remains  paid,  without  being  restored  to  the  body  of 
the  Redeemer.  The  redemption  is  eternal ;  the 
value  of  the  price  is  eternal,  just  as  if  the  Re- 
deemer hung  on  the  cross  daily,  and  expired  daily 
for  us.  In  His  death  there  was  the  poiver  of  a  life 
that  was  not  to  be  dissolved.  In  His  life  there  is  the 
value  of  His  death,  which  is  perpetual r 

One  can  but  note  the  care  with  which  distinct 
mention  is  made  by  the  Lord  Jesus,  of  His  flesh, 
and  of  His  blood  ;  as  afterwards  at  the  last  Supper, 
He  gave  the  separate  emblems  —  the  bread,  of  His 
body,  and  the  wine,  of  His  blood.  Thus  they  are 
also  mentioned  by  St.  Paul.g  So  once  more  in  He- 
brews, where  we  are  told  of  the  realities  of  heaven,  to 

Bengel  also  quotes  from  Calvin,  as  saying,  "  Christ  carried  His 
own  blood  INTO  the  heavenly  Sanctuary  to  make  atonement  for 
the  sins  of  the  v^orld." 

♦  Heb.  X.  19.  f  Heb.  x.  29. 

\  Gnomon,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  479.  §  i  Cor.  xi.  24,  25. 


THE   PASSOVER  IN-  CANAAN.  jq^ 

which  we  have  now  come — after  the  mention  of  "  in- 
numerable angels,"  of  "  the  festive  assembly  and 
Church  of  the  First-born,"  and  "  God  the  Judge  of 
all,"  and  ''  the  Spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect," 
there  are  also  added — "  Jesus  the  Mediator  "  of  the 
new  Covenant,  AND  the  blood  of  sprinkling  "  that,, 
speaketh  better  things  than  that  of  Abel."  * 

But  to  follow  the  teaching  of  Jesus  to  its  close. 
He  tells  us  plainly,  that  He  is  not  using  words  as 
figures,  but  as  names  of  real  things.  "  My  flesh  is 
Irue  meat  —  My  blood  is  Irue  drink."  f  And  it  is 
now  no  longer  upon  His  giving  this  food  for  the  life 
of  the  world  that  He  dwells  ;  but  upon  otir  eating 
and  drinking^  which  are  repeated  again  and  again. 
The  giving  was  His  one  act — the  receiving  our  con- 
stantly renewed  act.  And  now  at  last,  after  Jesus 
had  for  the  first  time  foretold  His  Ascension,  He 
explains,  that  it  was  not  mere  flesh  of  which  He  had 
been  speaking — not  the  carnal  thing  that  was  in  their 
thoughts — "the  flesh  profiteth  nothing"  —  but  of 
"the   Spirit   that  quickeneth  "  —  (words  which   the 

*  Heb.  xii.  24. 

t  "John  vi.  55,  akriQ'rjq  is  not  7/  akr]Bivri,  nor  is  the  sense,  'My 
flesh  is  the  true  meat,'  etc.,  but  My  flesh  is  true  meat,  i.  e., 
really  to  be  eaten,  which  they  doubted.  Thus  flA7/<?wc  is  a  gloss* 
which  falls  short  of  the  depth  of  the  adjective.  This  verse  is  de- 
cisive against  all  explaining  away,  or  metaphorizing  the  passage. 
Food  and  drink  are  not  here  mere  metaphors  ; — rather  are  our 
common  material  food  and  drink  mere  shadows  and  imperfect 
types  of  this  only  real  reception  of  refreshment  and  nourishment 
into  the  being." — Dean  Alford's  Greek  Testament,  Vol.  I.  p.,  718. 

9 


194  "^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Apostle  Peter  must  have  had  in  mind,  when  he  spoke 
of  Christ  as  being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but 
quickened  by  the  Spirit).  And  then  all  is  summed 
up  in  the  pregnant  saying—*'  The  words  that  I  speak 
unto  you,  they  are  spirit,  and  they  are  life."  What 
words?  —  unless  chiefly  those  upon  which  He  had 
rested  such  a  weight — the  words  so  often  repeated — 
"  My  flesh — My  blood  !"  These  should  prove  "  true 
meat,  true  drink,"  because  also,  when  He  had  as- 
cended, "Spirit,  and  Life."*  Recalling  no  word 
that  He  had  said  already,  He  only  rescued  His  pearls 
from  the  swine,  who  were  trampling  them  under  their 
feet.  And  still  some  believed  not.  How  indeed 
should  they?  It  was  hard  to  receive  His  witness 
when  He  only  told  of  earthly  things.  That  a  liv- 
ing man  could  be  born  again — born  from  above- — 
by  being  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit,  was  a  strange 
thing  to  their  thought.  And  yet  they  needed  not  to 
marvel,  if  only  they  had  marked  the  mystery  of  the 
wind,  that  cometh  and  goeth.  But  how  then  should 
they  beHeve  Him  now,  when  He  told  them  of  One 

*  Dean  Alford  says  upon  John  vi.  63  :  "  He  is  explaining  the 
life-giving  principle  of  which  He  had  been  before  speaking — 
He  does  not  say  '  My  Flesh  profiteth  nothing,'  but  *  the  flesh.* 
To  make  Him  say  this  is  to  make  Him  contradict  His  own  words 
in  verse  51  :  ru.  {i'rui.  k  eytb  leT^ukriKa — viz.,  the  words  fiov  tijv  adpKa 
and  fiov  Tb  alfia,  above.  They  are,  nvevfia  and  C"^ ' — spirit,  not 
flesh  only : — living  food,  not  carnal  and  perishable.  This  mean- 
ing has  been  missed  by  almost  all  commentators.  Stier  upholds 
it,  iv.  281  (2d  ed.)  ;  and  it  seems  to  me  beyond  question  the  right 
on€.—  The  Greek  Testament,  I.  769. 


THE   PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN.  jq^ 

who  ascended  into  heaven,  to  be  the  Bread  of  this 
new  life. 

And  what  is  our  own  need  to  marvel,  if  we  only 
reverently  ponder  the  mystery  of  our  daily  bread. 
We  eat  it— but  how  Httle  even  Science  knows  of 
that  great  secret  Hozv  is  it  that  the  grain  first  grows 
from  crudest  elements  ?  How  is  it  that  it  is  changed 
into  the  tender  tissue,  the  tense  sinew,  and  the  warm 
coursing  blood  ?  We  know  it  only  as  a  fact.  The 
bounteous  table  is  not  spread  for  us  to  analyze,  but 
to  enjoy. 

Enough  then,  that  in  spiritual  as  in  natural  things, 
"  we  know  and  are  sure,"  that  we  are  invited  to  feast 
upon  "  true  meat,  and  true  drink  ;"  that  we  eat  of 
Bread  '  that  strengtheneth  our  heart,'  and  drink  of 
'  wine  that  maketh  it  glad.'  Who  can  even  describe 
the  cheer  and  comfort  that  compass  the  frame,  and 
that  pervading  sense  of  speedy  strength,  that  comes 
through  common  sustenance  ?  How  then  set  forth  the 
blessedness  of  the  Heavenly  Banquet — the  strength 
and  sweetness  of  the  shedding  abroad  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  our  hearts — the  steady  bracing  of  the  whole 
being — the  poising  of  aW  its  powers — or  yet  its  brim- 
ming in  the  bewilderment  of  gladness,  as  this  "  best 
wine  goeth  down  sweetly  !  "  *  We  know  not  how,  but 
we  know  and  are  sure  by  every  inner  sense  that  He  has 
given  us,  that  as  He  feeds  us  thus — it  is  His  Spirit 
penetrating  our  spirit.  His  soul  possessing  our  soul, 
*  Cant.  /ii.  9. 


ig5  '^^E  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

till  these  mortal  bodies  feel  the  quickening  Spirit 
that  dwelleth  in  us,  and  thrill  with  the  stirring  of 
that  new  life,  in  which  they  shall  be  raised  up  at  the 
last  day.  Even  thus,  O  Great  High  Priest,  King  of 
Righteousness,  and  King  of  Peace,  dost  thou  come 
forth  to  meet  and  bless  Thy  servants,  with  Thy 
Bread  and  Wine  ! 

And  so  the  mystery  is  made  known — dimly  to  rea- 
son, but  how  brightly  to  Faith,  that  *'  Christ  loved 
the  Church,  and  gave  Himself  for  it  " — that  when  it 
was  not  good  for  Him  to  be  alone,  the  deep  sleep  fell 
upon  Him,  and  the  Church  found  His  death  to  be 
her  life.  Therefore  because  it  is  "  His  own  flesh  " — 
because  "we  are  members  of  His  body,  of  His  flesh, 
and  of  His  bones,"  "  He  nourisheth  and  cherisheth 
it."  Thrice  happy  Church,  thus  fed  by  her  Beloved 
— thus  beholding  His  glory,  and  so  changed  into  the 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory  ;  in  such  a  wise  that 
at  last  this  body  of  our  lowliness  shall  be  conformed 
to  the  Body  of  His  Glory  ! 

And  so  it  is,  indeed,  no  longer  as  in  Egypt,  that  we 
now  keep  the  Passover.  The  Birth  feast  is  changed 
into  a  Marriage  Feast,  and  -the  first  miracle  at  Cana 
is  the  perpetual  miracle  of  the  loving  and  believing 
heart,  in  which  life  cleanses,  and  love  purifies.  For 
Christ's  cleansing  of  His  Church,  is  not  after  the 
manner  of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews — a  washing  of 
water  without,  to  leave  the  inner  man  unchanged. 
"  The  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,"  as  it  is 


THE  PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN.  197 

first  without,  is  then  within  ;*  the  cleansing  of  the 
Wine  that  searches  and  yet  heals ;  that  bringing  into 
our  being  a  vigor  not  its  own,  exalts  all  our  powers 
to  the  partaking  of  His  divine  nature,  and  fills  us 
with  the  joy  of  the  Lord. 

And  here  let  it  be  again  distinctly  stated,  that  such 
blessing  as  this  comes  through  faith^  and  not  through 
any  forjn.  The  Lord  Jesus  in  teaching  the  great 
truth,  made  known  but  one  condition — believing  on 
Him,  When  He  afterwards  added  His  ordinance  it 
was  based  upon  this  truth — not  the  truth  upon  the 
ordinance.  And  yet  as  certainly  as  He  taught  the 
truth,  He  appointed  the  form.  As  surely  as  He  gave 
His  very  flesh  and  very  blood,  to  be  our  meat  and 
drink — He  also  gave  the  bread  and  wine,  to  be  their 
tokens.  One  may  well  fear  lest  parted  from  its  strik- 
ing symbol,  the  spiritual  substance  may  become,  even 
to  the  sincere,  a  shadowy  blessing  faintly  and  vaguely 
apprehended. 

The  Lord  Jesus  surely  makes  every  such  remem- 
brance of  Him  the  occasion  of  His  special  manifesta- 
tion. ''  The  cup  of  blessing  which  we  bless — is  it  not 
the  communion  of  the  blood  of  Christ  ?    The  bread 

*  "  A  double  benefit  becomes  ours  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  name- 
ly :  I.  Deliverance  from  the  guilt  of  sin  ;  11.  The  gift  of  the  new 
powers  of  life  which  are  subsequently  exercised  in  good  works. 
The  former  is  Z2\\^di  justification  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ: 
and  the  latter  is  obtained  by  the  man  who  eats  the  flesh  of  Christ, 
and  drinks  His  blood;  John  \\:'—Be7ig el's  Gnomon— on  Heb^ 
xii.  24. 


jgg  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING, 

li'/iich  we  break— \s  it  not  the  communion  of  the 
body  of  Christ  ?"*  And  while  thus  intensifying  our 
faith  in  this  vital  union  with  our  Lord,  we  at  the 
same  time  confirm  our  fellowship  with  one  another — 
*'  We  being  many  are  one  body,  for  we  are  all  partakers 
of  that  one  bread."  f  Every  supper  of  the  Lord  should 
also  be  a  feast  of  Charity.  Finally,  it  is  the  Church's 
testimony  to  a  Christless  world.  "  As  often  as  ye  eat 
this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  proclaim  the 
Lord's  death  till  He  come."  % 

Yet  let  us  deeply  ponder  that  which  must  follow, 
when  in  any  way  the  eye  of  Faith  has  become  so  dim 
as  not  to  discern  the  Lord's  body, — ^^  For  this  cause 
many  are  weak  and  sickly  among  you,  and  many 
sleep !" 

Till  He  Come.    Only  a  little  longer  shall  we  keep 

*  I  Cor.  X.  1 6. 

"  According  to  the  Scripture  (John  vi.)  the  Lord  was  to  be  in 
us  and  with  us  also  in  flesh  and  blood  after  His  ascension  ;  yes, 
then  first  truly  so.  His  heavenly  flesh  and  blood  pervaded  by 
spirit,  and  which  have  become  spirit  and  Hfe,  these  are  the 
true  '  mediating-  orga7is '  of  that  fellowship  which  is  as  really 
bodily  as  spiritual ;  and  the  bread  and  the  wine  are  the  mediat- 
ing symbols  of  this  in  the  second  degree.  Was  there  not  for  the 
Church  of  the  Lord  an  actual  reception  of  His  flesh  and  blood  pro- 
vided, it  could  haie  no  life  in  itself,  it  never  would  be  or  could 
be  His  Church,  that  is,  His  body.  If  this  reception  was  not  :X 
the  same  time  (not  indeed  exclusively,  but  especially)  mediated  by 
an  external,  earthly  corporeal  element,  the  Church  of  the  New 
Testament  would  have  no  Sacrament." — Stier's  Words  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  vii.  105. 

t  I  Cor.  x.  17.  J  I  Cor.  xi.  26. 


THE  PASSOVER  IN  CANAAN. 


199 


this  Feast ;  for  soon  the  Holy  Supper  of  our  Lord 
will  become  the  Marriage  Supper  of  the  Lamb.  We 
do  not  even  rightly  remember  His  dying,  unless  we 
are  looking  for  that  blessed  Hope.  How  passing 
sweet  His  promise — "  Until  /  drink  it  NEW  with  you 
in  my  Father's  kingdom!"  "When  we  become  as 
He  is,  then  will  He  be  again  as  we  are  ;  He  will  eat 
and  drink  with  us  the  new  fruits  of  the  new  world  in 
the  fellowship  of  an  eternal  enjoyment  of  the  renova- 
ted creation  of  the  Father."  * 


*  Rudolph  Stier. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE 
LAND. 

^'  and  the  manna  ceased  on  the   morrow 

^  after  they  had  eaten  of  the  new  corn 

of  the  land;  neither  had  the  children  of 

Israel  manna  any  more;    but   they    did  eat 

OF  the  FRUIT  OF  THE  LAND  OF  CaNAAN  THAT 
year."*— (y^^/jJ.  V.  12.) 

The  most  marked  providence  of  the  forty  years  in 
the  wilderness,  was  the  manna.  It  was  the  time  of 
man's  provocation — yet  such  was  the  compassion  of 
God,  that  he  "did  eat  angels'  food."t  For  forty 
years,  was  God  grieved  with  Israel,  yet  for  forty 
years,  day  by  day,  He  gave  them  their  bread  from 
heaven.  But  now  occurs  a  great  change.  The  prom- 
ise of  God  is  fulfilled,  that  in  this  land  they  should 
eat  bread,  without  scarceness. 

The  lessons  contained  in  this  change,  are  not  the 
least  in  value  of  the  many  which  crowd  the  fifth 
chapter  of  Joshua— making  it  like  the  cluster  of  the 

♦  "  The  produce  of  tlie  same  year  ;  /.  e.,  the  new  covn."—Keil 
and  Dclitzsch. 
t  Ps.  Ixxviii.  25. 
(200) 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF   THE  LAND.      20I 

grapes  of  Eshcol.  Among  those  lessons,  the  most 
obvious  upon  the  face  of  the  history  are  these.  The 
cessation  of  the  manna,  marks  a  return  from  correc- 
tion to  comfort — from  the  extraordinary  to  the  ordi- 
nary— from  the  direct  provision  of  God,  to  His  bless- 
ing upon  their  own  efforts — yet  all  in  such  a  way,  as 
to  indicate  not  less,  but  more,  of  His  goodness. 

But  to  revert  to  the  history  of  the  manna.  In  Egypt 
it  was  the  abuse  of  God's  bounty,  that  they  ''sat  by 
the  flesh  pots,  and  did  eat  bread  to  the  full."*  The 
satisfaction  of  the  lower  wants  of  our  being,  though  a 
part  of  the  Creator's  design,  is  never  to  become  an 
object  in  life.  Very  good  as  the  means  which  it  was 
appointed  to  be — as  an  end,  it  is  very  evil.  "  Let  us 
eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die,"  is  the  lowest 
possible  valuation  of  life.  The  tendency  of  such  a  full 
supply,  unbalanced  by  higher  pursuits,  is  always  to 
degrade  the  soul,  to  animalize  the  being,  and  to  give 
the  body  an  ascendancy  over  the  spirit,  instead  of 
keeping  it  in  subjection.  Hence  excessive  fertility 
nearly  always  proves  a  curse. 

But  the  food  of  Egypt  was  not  only  abundant,  but 
gross  and  stimulating.  Bodily  appetite  had  a  fearful 
dominion  over  the  childhood  of  Israel.  The  "  leeks 
and  cucumbers"  seem  to  have  left  a  stronger  impres- 
sion on  their  memories,  than  the  ten  plagues  and  the 
Red  Sea.  Their  murmuring  for  bread  was  their  first 
sin      In   the   provision   which   the   Lord    graciously 

*  Exodus  xvi.  3. 

9* 


202  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

made  for  their  need,  He  introduced  a  wise  discipline 
He  could  still  have  given  them  fulness  of  bread  ;  but 
it  was  far  better  for  them  for  a  time  to  be  trained 
to  abstinence,  and  to  utmost  moderation.  He  gave 
them,  therefore,  but  one  sort  of  food,  and  that  the 
lightest.  The  deep  design  of  this  was  explained  to 
them  by  Moses  : — "  He  humbled  thee,  and  suffered 
thee  to  hunger,  and  fed  thee  with  manna,  which  thou 
knewest  not,  neither  did  thy  fathers  know ;  that  He 
might  make  thee  know  that  man  doth  not  live 
by  bread  only,  but  by  every  word  that  proceed- 
eth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  doth  man  live."* 
In  a  profound  significance,  stretching  far  beyond  their 
earlier  sense,  Christ  used  the  last  of  these  words  in 
His  own  hunger.  His  first  temptation  was  Israel's 
first,  as  well  as  our  first  and  lowest.  But  even  their 
weak  understanding  must  have  grasped  a  part  of  the 
meaning  of  Moses — Bread  was  not  the  chief  necessity 
of  life,  and  hunger  was  comparatively  a  small  evil. 
They  must  be  trained  to  know  the  needs,  and  the 
supplies,  of  soul  life,  and  spirit  life. 

When  Israel  came  out  of  Egypt,  their  life  was  lit- 
tle more  than  such  as  fish,  and  onions,  and  garlic 
could  feed — little  more  than  an  animal  life.  It  was 
not  the  plan  of  God  to  lead  His  people  into  perma- 
nent distress  and  poverty.  He  had  promised  them  a 
land,  full  of  all  good  things,  where  they  should  eal 
bread  without  scarceness.    But  for  the  present^  scarce- 

♦  Deut.  viii.  3. 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE  LAND,      203 

ness  of  bread  was  the  needful  corrective.  How  hard 
that  discipline  was  for  them,  and  how  necessary,  we 
see  soon  afterwards,  when  that  whole  camp  forgot  the 
dignity  of  freedom  and  of  manhood,  and  like  so  many 
spoiled  children,  absolutely  cried  aloud,  because  they 
did  not  like  the  food  which  God  had  given  them.*  It 
was  needful  to  subdue  such  lust  before  He  could  pro- 
ceed with  their  moral  culture. 

And  then  He  fed  them  by  other  words  out  of  His 
mouth.  All  His  commands,  and  all  His  ways,  were 
such  words,  and  by  every  one  was  their  being  nour- 
ished and  developed.  He  fed  them  by  the  very 
sublimity  of  their  mountain  path,  as  they  marched 
downward  to  Sinai.  By  each  grand  form,  and  by 
each  lovely  tint.  He  fed  both  the  strength  and  the 
tenderness  of  their  nature.  By  all  the  routine  of  the 
journey,  by  all  the  closer  companionships  of  lives  set 
free  from  servitude,  He  fed  them.  By  all  the  awe 
and  terror  of  Sinai,  and  most  of  all  by  His  holy  Law, 
He  fed  them,  and  made  them  live.  And  they  grew. 
Mental  and  moral  manhood  were  developed.  Even 
in  their  wanderings,  when  He  had  to  give  them  so 
largely  the  bread  of  adveisity,  and  the  waters  of 
affliction,  they  still  grew  ;  and  most  of  all,  in  readiness 
of  soul,  to  receive  rnore  real  blessing  from  God.  And 
now  over  Jordan,  life  was  another  thing  for  them. 
They  had  been  lifted  up  in  the  scale  of  being.  The 
correction  had  wrought   out  its  purpose,  and  they 

*  See  Numbers  xi.  4. 


204  ^^-^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

could  again  be  trusted  with  the  good  things  of  earth. 
So  the  manna  ceased,  and  the  corn  and  all  the  fruit- 
age of  Canaan  were  theirs.  They  had  learned  their 
lesson,  that  the  life  was  more  than  meat.  And  now 
that  they  were  ready  for  it,  God  gave  them  all  that 
was  needed  to  sustain  such  a  life. 

How  easily  one  can  picture  the  gathering  of  the 
families  of  Israel  to  their  first  repast,  the  day  after 
the  manna  ceased — to  partake,  with  an  almost  child- 
like pleasure,  of  the  good  things  so  long  promised. 
And  yet  how  all  greediness  would  be  held  in  check,  by 
their  reverent  sense  of  God's  own  gifts.  What  thanks- 
givings must  have  gone  up  that  day  from  the  tables 
in  the  Camp  of  Gilgal ! 

The  training  of  His  people  of  old  in  this  manner,  is 
the  pattern  from  which  God  still  works,  in  His  loving 
correction.  Our  outward  bread  is  the  natural  symbol 
of  all  that  can  be  called  food  in  a  wider  sense  ;  of  all 
that  comes  to  nourish  up  the  life  of  our  complex  be- 
ing— to  develop  it,  and  to  strengthen  it — embracing 
all  that  in  this  outward  creation  yields  support  of  any 
kind  to  our  nature — all  the  manifold  providences  of 
God,  and  events  of  life — all  the  influences  of  our  fellow- 
beings,  and  all  that  descends  to  us  from  God  out  of 
heaven. 

It  is  a  primary  law  of  all  organic  life  that  it  must 
be  fed  ;  and  the  higher  it  is,  from  the  more  sources 
must  its  supplies  be  sought.  He  who  fixed  these 
laws  in  our  being,  has  at  the  same  time  created  theii 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF   THE   LAND.     205 

supplies,  and  given  us  the  instincts  to  seek  them. 
So  long  as  these  instincts  are  natural  and  healthy,  all 
that  they  desire  must  be  good. 

We  may  apply  this  to  the  manifold  blessings  of 
life— Health  is  good  ;  Wealth  is  good  ;  Happiness  is 
good;    and   on  the   contrary,   disease,   poverty,  and 
grief,  are  all  in  themselves  evils,   and   the  derange- 
ments of  God's  highest  plan.    But  even  the  best  things, 
even  things  the  most  needful,  are  good  for  us  only 
when  we  are  prepared  to  use  them  rightly.     And  as 
we  take  away  from  the  sick  child  much  of  the  food 
which  was  previously  good,  and  do  not  allow  his  ap- 
petite to  have  its  way,  so  God  is  compelled  to  take 
away  from  the  being  disordered  by  sin,  many  of  His 
best  gifts,  since  they  would  only  increase  the  evil. 

In  this  process  by  which  He  restores  us,  we  are 
bound  to  co-operate.  We  must  accept,  not  only 
with  submission,  but  with  sweetness,  the  medicine 
instead  of  food,  the  little  instead  of  the  much.  So 
blessings  suffer  for  the  time  a  reversal.  Thus  poverty 
may  be  the  present  blessing,  and  God  choose  the 
poor  of  this  world,  to  make  them  only  rich  in  faith 
now—'ovX  in  the  return  to  the  true  estimate  of  things, 
heirs  of  a  kingdom  hereafter.  Adversity  may  thus  be 
the  present  blessing,  but  not  the  highest  and  truest- 
Prosperity  is  that.  Light  food  and  scanty,  are  these 
li/nitations  of  our  being,  pressing  us  on  every  hand. 

But  while  we  accept  this  humbling,  and  suffering 
of  hunger,  which  come  if  need  be— and  how  common 


2o6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

is  that  need — we  ought  not  to  be  content  with  their 
continuance  beyond  it.  We  need  to  distinguish  in 
the  work  of  God  upon  us,  very  carefully,  between- 
that  which  is  directly  progressive,  and  that  which  is 
remedial.  From  a  neglect  of  this,  have  sprung  the 
evils  of  asceticism,  and  the  extremes  of  Puritanism. 
The  sick  man,  who  has  found  his  medicine  and  spare 
diet  agree  with  his  weakness,  does  well  to  recom- 
mend them  to  the  weak  ;  but  it  would  be  quite  another 
thing,  to  persuade  the  healthy  and  strong  to  adopt 
the  same  regimen. 

"  The  Giving  God  "  desires  ever  to  give  us  His 
beSt ;  but  that  best  is  something  altogether  relative 
to  our  state.  It  is  not  judgment,  but  mercy  rejoicing 
against  judgment,  that  when  man  has  broken  the 
commandments,  makes  the  flaming  sword  turn  every 
way,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life.  But  it  is  Love, 
that,  when  man  is  so  blessed  as  to  keep  these  com- 
mandments, gives  him  again  the  "  right  to  the  tree 
of  life."  Until  we  have  the  grace  to  receive  and  use 
God's  gifts  aright,  it  is  better  for  us  to  be  without 
them  ;  but  far  better  to  be  so  restored  as  to  safely 
use  them— better  for  us,  and  better  for  His  glory. 
So,  then,  when  He  gives  us  for  our  bread  a  light  thing, 
and  gives  it  by  measure,  we  do  well  to  ask  Him  that 
we  may  be  speedily  ''  humbled,"  and  ''  proved,"  and 
"  taught,"  that  so  we  may,  like  Israel,  pass  on  to  richer 
and  truer  blcssincrs. 

But  to  pass  to  another  lesson.    There  was  to  be  no 


THE 'NEW   CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF    THE  LAND.     20/ 

more  an  infantile  dependence  upon  the  provision  of 
God.  That  bread  from  heaven  had  needed  no  sow- 
ing, no  tilling,  no  reaping  :  it  only  asked  to  be  gath- 
ered. Yet  He  led  them  not  backward,  but  forward 
in  privilege,  in  ordering  that  henceforth  their  supplies 
should  bear  a  proportion  to  their  own  energies.  Such 
is  ever  our  Father's  way  with  His  children — first  to 
work  for  them,  and  then  to  make  them  co-workers 
with  Him.  In  giving  us  some  of  His  choicest  things, 
He  absolutely  requires  this  co-operation  ;  and  even 
doubles  the  value  of  His  gifts,  by  the  training  and 
development  of  all  our  powers. 

It  is  an  utter  mistake,  therefore,  to  regard  the  Lord 
as  any  less  the  Giver,  for  giving  to  us  through  our 
own  selves,  as  instruments.  He  may  be  all  the  more 
working  for  us,  and  blessing  us,  when  He  sets  His 
gif.s  at  a  little  remove  from  us,  and  even  with  many 
intervening  obstacles. 

Again,  another  kindred  lesson  here  shadowed  forth 
is  this.  It  may  seem  paradoxical,  but  it  is  simply  a 
matter  of  experience,  that  as  our  lives  become  more 
spiritual,  they  also  become  more  natural,  and  there  is 
less  seemingly  of  the  extraordinary  about  them. 

But  in  this  we  do  indeed  see  only  in  part.  For 
Law,  and  Order,  are  but  names  which  we  give  to  the 
ways  of  God's  working,  so  far  as  they  have  become 
familiar  to  us.  Probably  all  the  works  to  which  we 
give  other  names,  calling  them  miraculous,  and  su- 
pernatural, are  equally  within  the  range  of  Law  and 


208  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Order,  as  seen  by  higher  intelligences.  Just  as  the 
native  of  the  Tropics  knows  some  of  the  laws  of  water ; 
while  the  savage  of  another  zone  knowb  an  added 
law,  which  completely  sets  aside  the  others,  and  the 
ice-bound  river  is  his  easy  path,  instead  of  a  perilous 
flood.  The  man  of  science  finds  out  yet  another  law, 
and  bids  this  same  element  carry  him  swiftly  over 
land  and  sea. 

So,  as  our  spiritual  apprehension  enlarges,  we  note 
this  change — the  ordinary  works  of  God  appear  more 
extraordinary ;  and  the  extraordinary,  more  in  accord 
with  the  ordinary.  In  the  latter,  the  elernent  of  mere 
marvel  and  astonishment  fades  from  our  minds,  as 
we  consider  those  laws  that  lie  beyond  our  world,  and 
how  easy  and  natural  are  all  things  to  Omnipotence. 
And  in  the  former  case,  wc  come  to  understand,  that 
His  simplest  handiwork  is  so  full  of  skill,  as  to  de- 
mand His  constant  supervision.  Such  recognition  of 
the  power,  and  present  working  of  God  in  all  com- 
mon things,  prepares  us  in  the  most  healthy  manner 
for  a  further  insight  into  His  hidden  ways.  How  can 
one  who  has  really  confessed  his  Creator,  doubt  the 
possibility  of  any  miracle?  How  can  one  who  has 
watched  the  daily  unfolding  of  His  providences,  doubt 
His  interposition  at  any  needful  point  ? 

Among  the  designs  of  miracles,  a  chief  one  seems  to 
have  been  to  call  the  attention  of  men  to  God.  When 
they  fell  on  their  faces  and  cried,  "  The  Lord  He  is 
the   God,"  the    end   was   sufficiently   answered.      A 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE   LAND.     20Q 

good  example  of  this  is  the  gift  of  tongues.  It  was 
all-important  to  bring  the  early  Church  to  a  clear 
recognition  of  the  power  and  presence  of  the  Spirit. 
This  accomplished,  their  service  ceased,  except  as 
they  might  be  needed  to  produce  a  like  effect  on 
others.  So  St.  Paul  presents  the  case  —  "  Wherefore 
tongues  are  for  a  sign,  not  to  them  that  believe,  but 
to  them  that  believe  not."* 

But  again,  there  are  other  signs  to  *'  follow  them 
that  believe,"  in  which  the  object  is  to  restore  the 
order  disarranged  by  sin.f  The  miracles  of  Christ 
were  very  largely  of  this  class ;  as,  for  instance,  all  His 
works  of  healing.  For  this  there  was  needed  the 
momentary  exercise  of  some  new  law,  after  which 
there  v/ould  be  an  immediate  return  to  the  old  laws, 
which  had  sufficed  for  their  work. 

In  the  case  of  the  manna,  both  the  above  objects 
appear.  That  barren  desert  was  an  abnormal  thing, 
not  at  all  in  the  original  perfection  of  God's  works. 
For  obvious  reasons,  He  did  not  give  it  permanent  fer- 
tility ;   but  for  the  time.  He  made  good  the  supply  it 

*  I  Cor.  xiv.  22. 

t  Christlieb,  in  his  admirable  volume  on  "  Modern  Doubt  and 
Christian  Belief,"  after  showing-  that  miracles  belonged  especial- 
ly to  "  the  epoch  in  which  the  Church  was  first  founded"  claims 
that  in  the  work  of  missions  "  miracles  should  not  be  entirely  want- 
ing— nor  are  they.  We  can  not,  therefore,  fully  admit  the  prop- 
osition that  no  more  miracles  are  performed  in  our  day.  In  the 
history  of  modern  missions,  we  find  7nany  wonderful  occurrences 
which  unmistakably  refnijid  us  of  the  apostolic  age."  He  goes 
on  to  give  several  pages  of  instances — See  Lecture  V.,  iii. 


210  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

should  have  yielded.  Then,  also,  the  other  purpose  was 
accomplished,  that  they  clearly  recognized  God  as  the 
Giver  of 'daily  bread.  And  to  those  who  had  learned 
this,  the  gift  of  the  manna  would  seem  a  simple  thing 
by  the  side  of  that  munificence,  which  year  aftei 
year  brought  forth  from  the  rain  of  heaven,  and  the 
dust  of  the  earth,  the  nutritious  grain — the  figs  and 
pomegranates — the  olive,  with  its  golden  soothing 
oil — the  vine,  with  its  purple  kindling  juice — and 
working  on  through  the  mysterious  chemistry  of  ani- 
mal life,  made  the  land  flow  with  milk  and  honey. 
But  for  the  manna,  they  might  have  seen  no  miracle 
in  all  this — might  have  taken  it  as  from  Nature,  and 
not  from  God.  "  There  is  not,  indeed,"  as  has  been 
well  said,  "  a  miracle  on  record,  that  can  compete 
with  the  miracles  of  Creation  and  Providence." 

Moreover,  it  is  most  mischievous  to  become  ab- 
sorbed with  the  extraordinary — as  happened  in  the 
Corinthian  Church — and  to  prefer  what  is  striking,  to 
the  simple  and  serviceable.  Man,  as  a  rule,  can  bear 
very  little  of  the  extraordinary.  He  is  very  apt  to 
abuse  it  for  some  display. 

And  now  to  make  these  considerations  more  prac- 
tical. Few  persons,  probably,  pass  through  a  full  Chris- 
tian experience,  without  some  special  display  of  the 
Lord's  power.  Most  frequently  this  occurs  at  an 
early  stage,  or  else  at  some  subsequent  marked 
period   of  growth,   and  anxiety  is  often  felt  at    its 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF   THE  LAND.      21  I 

withdrawal.  Perhaps  the  soul  was  fed  by  some 
word  of  God,  that  fell  clear  as  a  Voice  speaking  from 
heaven.  Perhaps  some  wondrous  vision  was  spread 
out  before  the  eye.  But  when  this  manna  ceases,  has 
God's  bounty  ceased  ?  No,  the  new  corn  of  the  land, 
and  all  its  fruits,  are  theirs.  Only  now  He  would 
have  them  search  the  Scriptures.  He  would  have 
them  meditate  in  His  law.  He  would  have  them  even 
wait  for  the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth.  And  if  they 
accept  this  ordering  of  their  lives,  they  will  find  their 
souls  led  on  to  really  richer  blessings,  for  which  the 
extraordinary  visitation  was  only  meant  to  prepare 
them.  They  become  more  simple,  and  more  spiritual, 
at  once. 

Thus  does  the  Master  keep  His  disciples  from 
straining  their  life  to  an  unnatural  pitch,  where,  un- 
able to  sustain  it,  they  are  nearly  sure  to  break  down 
altogether.  There  are  lines  of  thought  and  expe- 
rience which  it  is  well  for  us  to  be  trained  to  touch  at 
times,  but  to  be  fastened  there,  would  be  the  de- 
struction of  the  soul. 

And  the  Master  Himself  is  our  example  here. 
Look  at  the  life  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  There  were  great 
crises  in  it — hours  and  days  that  were  most  extraor- 
dinary. Witness  His  Baptism,  the  Temptation,  the 
Transfiguration.  But  as  soon  as  the  high  occasion 
passes.  His  life  moves  on  again,  simply,  and  sweetly, 
without  any  strain.     Indeed,  notwithstanding  all  that 


212  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING, 

SO  widely  separates  it  from  other  lives,  the  intense 
naturalness  of  Jesus,  is  one  of  His  chief  human 
attractions. 

We  see  this  also  in  the  life  of  Paul.  There  is  no 
assumption,  no  cant,  no  attempt  to  act  a  part.  He  is 
real,  throughout  all  the  constant  changes  of  his  ca- 
reer. How  cheerfully  he  comes  down  from  his  third 
heaven,  to  his  thorn  in  the  flesh.  How  humbly  he 
owns  his  danger  of  getting  exalted  above  measure. 

It  was  a  choice  tribute  that  was  lately  rendered  to 
a  noble  Christian  woman,  that  "  her  natural  life  was 
so  completely  Christian,  that  her  Christian  life  became 
completely  natural."  In  truth,  simplicity  is  a  vital 
element  in  all  greatness,  most  of  all  in  that  which  is 
spiritual.  It  measures  also  very  closely  that  which  is 
lovable.  Sanctimoniousness  is  a  widely  different 
thing  from  sanctity.  The  effort  needed  to  support  it 
in  all  its  conventional  proprieties,  exhausts  the  re- 
sources of  life.  The  nature  is  so  spent  in  seeming, 
that  it  has  no  strength  for  being. 

In  eating  the  new  corn  of  the  land,  there  was  a  re- 
turn to  simple,  natural  ways.  They  turned  from  the 
^Paschal  feast  to  find  their  common  life  crowned  with 
bounty.  When  once  Christ  has  lifted  us  up  to  sit  in  the 
hcavenlies,  to  eat  His  body,  and  to  drink  His  blood, 
then  He  returns  to  sup  also  with  u's.  When  we  have 
seen  the  slain  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  Throne,  we 
see  Christ  in  all  things.  He  fills  and  hallows  the 
whole  sphere  of  our  humanity,  so  that  henceforth  we 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE  LAND.      213 

can  call  nothing  unclean.  In  the  most  common  things 
of  life,  ''  sanctified  by  the  word  of  God  and  prayer," 
man  may  eat  more  than  angels'  food  ;  and  life  in  loving 
loyalty  to  Jesus,  may  become  one  long  blessed  sacra- 
ment. Of  more  than  the  broken  bread  may  it  b*- 
said,  ''  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  Me." 

Every  service  which  He  appoints,  every  pursuit 
which  He  sanctions,  every  pleasure  which  He  pro- 
vides—all of  these  as  we  take  them  in  His  name,  and 
for  His  sake,  shall  be  to  us  like  the  corn  and  fruits  of 
Canaan— more  abundant  and  more  luscious  for  all  our 
care— and  yet  His  own  daily  gifts,  strengthening  and 
refreshing  us,  and  helping  us  to  grow  up  into  Him  in 
all  things.  Bread  without  scarceness,  food  in  richest 
variety,  even  the  fat  of  the  Land,  shall  the  willing 
and  obedient  eat ;  for  it  is  a  high  and  complex  being 
that  is  to  be  thus  fed. 

Such  a  view  of  our  ultimate  liberty  will  keep  us, 
even  in  the  midst  of  much  present  sacrifice  and  self- 
denial,  free  from  all  narrowness  of  spirit,  and  especial- 
ly from  its  worst  form,  censoriousness.  We  can  not 
always  tell,  who  still  needs  to  be  fed  with  manna,  and 
who  may  eat  the  fruit  of  Canaan.  The  correction 
and  training  of  His  children,  rest  with  God  alone  ; 
and  few  things  are  more  difficult,  than  to  judge  the 
liberty  or  restraint  of  others.  "  Every  creature  of 
God  is  good  "—This  is  the  broad,  true  ground  of  lib- 
erty claimed  by  an  Apostle.  Yet  practically— for  in- 
expediency, for  present  necessity,  for  the  weakness 


214  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

of  others — who  so  ready  as  he,  to  ''  eat  no  meat  while 
the  world  standeth." 

**  He  who  is  weak  eateth  herbs."  We  may  pity, 
but  not  despise  him  for  it.  Nor  may  this  herb-eater, 
as  is  very  common,  judge  him  who  believeth  that  he 
may  eat  all  things.  He  is  safe,  while  "  he  eateth  to 
the  Lord,  and  giveth  God  thanks." 

Go,  then,  ye  that  are  hungering,  and  gather  the 
bread  of  the  land.  Feed  first  on  Christ,  and  then  on 
all  He  gives  you.  "  Sow  your  fields,  and  plant  vine- 
yards, which  may  yield  fruits  of  increase."  Let 
even  the  fallow  ground  be  made  to  bring  forth  your 
sustenance.  Consecrate  the  wide  field  of  life  to 
Christ,  and  He  will  command  His  blessing  upon  it  all. 
Give  your  all  to  Him,  and  then  out  of  the  hundred 
fold  which  He  returns  to  you,  let  every  faculty  which 
you  possess — your  every  power — your  whole  charac- 
ter and  being — be  built  up,  as  becomes  the  noblest 
workmanship  of  God  upon  this  earth. 

But  we  come  now  to  the  deepest  lesson  to  be 
drawn  from  this  ceasing  of  the  manna,  and  eating  of 
the  fruit  of  the  land.  Any  view  of  it  would  be  in- 
complete which  overlooked  Christ's  own  reference  to 
it.  ''  He  that  eateth  me  even  he  shall  live  by  me. 
This  is  that  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven ; 
not  as  your  fathers  did  eat  manna  and  are  dead ;  he 
that  eateth  of  this  bread  shall  live  forever."*  Jesus 
Himself,  then,  is  the  true  Antitype  of  the  manna.    To 

*  John  vi.  58. 


THE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE  LAND. 


215 


believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  to  confess  that  He 
has  come  in  the  flesh,  this  is  to  have  hfe.  No  soul 
that  accepts  Him  in  His  Hfe  and  death  shall  ever 
perish. 

But  Christ  came  not  merely  to  give  us  life,  but 
"  life  more  abundantly."  And  as  we  follow  on  to 
know  the  Lord,  we  know  Him  not  only  as  He  that 
lived  and  died  for  us,  but  as  the  Living  One — alive 
forevermore.  And  if  His  life  and  death  were  the 
very  bread  of  heaven,  and  the  stricken  Rock,  that 
saved  us  when  we  were  ready  to  perish  in  our  hun- 
ger and  thirst,  so  also  His  resurrection  life  in  Heaven, 
is  as  the  rich  and  abundant  fruit  of  Canaan.  All  of 
His  life  that  lies  upon  this  side  Jordan  is  the  manna, 
but  the  full  fruition  is  Christ  glorified.  Yet  only  to 
one  who  has  well  learned  the  saving  truth — "  It  is 
Christ  that  died,"  can  there  possibly  be  a  greater — 
"  Yea  rather  that  is  risen  again."  The  manna  had 
ceased  for  Paul,  and  he  was  feasting  on  the  richer 
portion,  when  he  said — "  Though  we  have  known 
Christ  after  the  flesh,  yet  now  henceforth  know  we 
Him  no  more."  * 

It  is  impossible  to  receive  the  full  knowledge  of 
Christ,  through  what  He  was  on  earth.  For  He 
*' humbled  Himself  "—"emptied  Himself  "—"had  no 
form  nor  comeliness" — was  "a  man  of  sorrows  and 
acquainted  with  grief."     All  this  was  to  cease — all 


*  2  Cor.  V.  16. 


2i6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

power,  all  glory,  all  loveliness,  all  joy,  all  unsearch- 
able riches,  are  in  Him  as  our  Lord  in  Glory. 

Every  one  must  have  felt  at  times,  that  Christ's 
life  did  not,  after  all,  touch  our  life  at  many  points. 
We  see  why  it  could  not  be,  but  this  does  not  quiet 
the  longing  that  it  might  have  been.  How  widely 
removed  from  our  lives,  for  instance,  as  we  know  that 
God  Himself  orders  them,  in  close  family  affection 
and  dependence,  and  in  all  innocent  pleasures,  was 
the  life  of  Jesus.  We  take  our  fill  of  the  joy  of 
social  converse — we  smile,  and  laugh, — and  it  almost 
startles  us  as  we  turn  to  our  Great  Example,  to 
remember  that  no  such  record  is  given  of  Him.  Nay 
further,  there  are  many  things  which  we  do  daily, 
which  we  do  not  like  to  think  of  Him  as  also  doing. 
We  would  rather  have  it  written  that  ''  Jesus  wept,'* 
than  that  He  smiled ;  and  yet  our  very  smiles  are 
sad,  unless  they  can  somehow  claim  His  sympathy. 

But  all  that  we  miss  in  Him,  in  that  short  wilder- 
ness journey,  we  can  surely  claim  as  His,  now  that 
He  has  entered  into  His  rest.  His  whole  life  was  a 
losing  of  life  for  the  Gospel's  sake ;  and  yet  surely, 
as  He  said  it  should  be  with  us.  He  kept  it  unto  Life 
eternal.  The  Man  Christ  Jesus,  mediating  between 
God  and  man,  walked  this  earth  with  the  vow  of  a 
Nazarite  upon  Him — separated  for  His  service  sake 
from  much  of  the  very  joy  which  He  came  to  bring. 
The  Nazarite,  of  old,  might  not  drink  the  strong  wine, 
nor  even  the  juice  of  the  grape,  nor  eat  the  moist  grape 


THE   NEW   CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE  LAND. 


217 


itself,  nor  yet  the  dry ;  nor  even  so  much  as  taste 
husk  or  kernel."^  But  this  was  only  for  ''  all  the  days 
of  his  separation  ;"  *'  and  after  that,  the  Nazarite  may 
drink  wine."  So  also  he  might  not  shave  his  beard, 
and  the  long  hair  must  mark  neglect  and  subjection  ; 
— ''  Until  the  days  be  fulfilled,  he  chall  let  the  locks^ 
of  the  hair  of  his  head  grow."  f 

The  days  of  Jesus'  vow  were  the  days  of  His  life 
on  earth,  marked  by  the  renunciation  of  social  joys, 
and  human  honor.  But  His  vow  was  ended  when 
He  cried,  "  It  is  finished."  And  now  we  may  not 
think  of  the  risen  Lord  as  still  a  man  of  sorrows,  nor 
count  our  Pattern,  to  be  no  more  than  the  homely 
web  of  a  Galilean  life.  His  humanity  has  been  glori- 
fied with  the  same  glory,  which  already  as  to  His 
divinity.  He  had  with  the  Father  before  the  world 
was.  And  far  more  glorious  than  the  cunning  work 
upon  the  veil  of  the  Temple  of  old,  is  the  work  now 
wrought  upon  what  was  once  His  flesh.  "  The  Glory 
Man  "  has  risen  infinitely  above  all  that  the  highest 
culture  of  this  world  ever  reached.  All  that  God 
ever  gave  our  human  nature,  has  found  its  full  and 
pure  development  in  Him.  And  being  all  this  Him- 
self, we  may  not  limit  His  sympathies  with  us,  by . 
what  He  once  did,  and  was,  on  earth.  He  would 
have  us  even  in  this  sense  ^'  through  His  poverty 
become  rich." 

The  beginning  of  His  miracles  was  not  to  remove 


*  Num.  vi.  3,  4.  t  Num.  vi.  5 

10 


2i8  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

human  sorrow,  or  to  heal  disease  ;  nor  was  it  to  meet 
a  necessity  of  life,  but  to  add  to  its  festive  joy.  He 
who  so  late,  would  not  so  much  as  turn  stones  into 
bread,  to  satisfy  the  hunger  of  His  long  fast,  turned 
water  into  wine,  for  those  who  had  before  "well 
drunk."  Even  so  He  waits  to  supply  all  our  need, 
*•  according  to  His  riches  in  Glory T 

"  Thou  drawest  all  things  to  an  Order  fair  ; 
The  things  we  treasure  most,  with  those  our  haste 
Doth  count  for  nought,  alike  in  Thee  are  graced 

With  beauty  past  compare. 

"  For  all  grows  sweet  in  Thee, 
Since  Thou  didst  gather  us  in  One,  and  bring 

This  fading  flower  of  our  humanity 
To  perfect  blossoming  !"  * 

Let  none  for  a  moment  think,  that  by  turning  thus 
to  the  glorified  Christ  we  slight  His  life,  much  less 
His  death.  It  is  the  manna  first;  next  the  Passover; 
then,  all  the  fruit  of  the  land :  and  the  manna  ceased 
not  until  they  kept  their  Passover.  Only  through 
the  gate  of  His  death,  can  we  pass  to  His  joyful 
resurrection. 

And  let  it  not  be  forgotten  that  our  Lord  may  call 
us  also,  for  an  appointed  season,  or  even  for  a  whole 
life,  to  the  vow  of  a  Nazarite.  We  may  be  keenly 
alive  to  the  stimulus  and  delight  of  a  high-toned 
social  circle,  and  yet  put  this  exhilarating  draught 


♦  Poems,  by  the  Author  of  "  The  Patience  of  Hope." 


rHE  NEW  CORN  AND  FRUIT  OF  THE  LAND.      2  in 

aside — to  go  down  the  ranks  of  society,  and  give  a 
cup  of  cold  water  to  some  little  one.  And  beholding 
Art  in  her  manifold  attractions,  conscious  of  some  of 
her  creative  power,  we  may  yet  hasten  from  her  tem- 
ple— to  make  like  Dorcas,  garments  for  the  widow, 
and  to  be  "  full  of  good  works  and  alms-deeds." 

And  if  God  so  call  us,  it  shall  only  be  our  greater 
gain.  It  shall  be  no  slighting,  no  wasting,  of  any 
gift  He  has  given  us.  Many  a  seed  of  sacrifice  bears 
its  hundred-fold  in  this  life :  and  those  which  can 
not,  sown  in  Christ's  grave,  shall  when  we  are  glorified 
with  Him,  receive  a  life  everlasting. 

Faint  shadow,  then,  of  the  fulness  of  our  Lord,  wert 
thou,  O  Land  of  Judea,  in  those  days  of  thy  bounty. 
Thy  cool  springs  from  the  depths  beneath,  thy  show- 
ers in  their  season,  thy  early  and  thy  latter  rain,  thy 
fields  of  waving  corn  and  the  joy  of  thy  harvest, 
thy  trees  with  all  their  goodly-laden  boughs,  thy 
vines  and  the  gladness  of  thy  vintage,  the  excellency 
of  thy  Carmel  and  the  glory  of  thy  Lebanon — faint 
shadows  in  all  ye  gave  of  old,  of  what  He  gives,  in 
whose  Risen  Life  ''  WE  live,  and  move,  and  HAVE 
OUR  BEING." 


CHAPTER    XI. 

seeing    the    captain. 

''  a  nd  it  came  to  pass  when  joshua  was  by 
-^  Jericho,  that  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and 

LOOKED,  and  behold,  THERE  STOOD  A  MAN  OVER 
against  him  with  his  SWORD  DRAWN  IN  HIS 
HAND;  AND  JOSHUA  WENT  UNTO  HIM,  AND  SAID 
UNTO  HIM,  Art  thou  for  us,  or  FOR  OUR  AD- 
VERSARIES?   And  he  said.  Nay;   but  I  am  the 

PRINCE  OF  the  ARMY  OF  JEHOVAH  ;  NOW  I  AM 
COME."*— (y^j//.  V.  13,  14.) 

The  preparation  of  Israel  for  the  Conquest  has 
been  traced  step  by  step,  but  it  is  still  incomplete 
until  the  Conqueror  is  seen.  It  would  almost  appear 
that  Joshua  stood  by  Jericho,  lifting  up  his  eyes,  and 
looking  in  some  expectancy.  Certainly  he  had  been 
prepared  for  this  by  all  the  previous  revelations  of 
the  Law.  He  had  learned  of  Him  as  Creator,  by  all 
His  manifest  mastery  over  His  own  works;  he  had 
learned  of  Him  as  Ruler,  drawing  very  nigh  to  man 
in  government,  and  judgment ;  he  knew  also  of  that 
holy  Presence  between  the  Cherubim;  but  the  prom- 

♦  Keil  and  Delitzsch. 
(220) 


SEEING    THE    CAPTAIN.  221 

ises  of  God  pointed  to  a  still  more  personal  manifes- 
tation. 

It  had  been  said  to  Moses  at  Sinai,  "  Behold  I  send 
an  Angel  before  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  the  way,  and 
to  bring  thee  into  the  place  which  I  have  prepared. 
Beware  of  him,  and  obey  his  voice,  provoke  him  not ; 
for  he  will  not  pardon  your  transgressions ;  for  my 
name  is  in  himy^  This  promise  which  plainly  indi- 
cated the  Lord  Himself,  was  withdrawn  after  the  sin 
of  the  golden  calf,  and  some  angel  of  lower  order 
substituted : — "  I  will  send  an  Angel  before  thee  .  .  . 
for  I  will  not  go  up  in  the  midst  of  thee. "f  The  mourn- 
ing of  the  people  over  these  evil  tidings,  and  the  in- 
tercession of  Moses,  resulted  in  the  restoration  of  this 
blessing ; — "  My  Face  shall  go,  and  I  will  give  thee 
rest.":]:  It  was  as  Isaiah  tells  us — "  The  Angel  of  His 
Face  saved  them.  In  His  love  and  in  His  pity.  He 
redeemed  them ;  and  He  bare  them  and  carried  them 
all  the  days  of  old."  § 

When  the  Lord  thus  renewed  this  promise,  it  was 
in  the  cloudy  pillar  at  the  Tabernacle  door,  speaking 
unto  Moses  "  face  to  face  as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his 
friend."  Joshua,  who  remained  always  near  at  hand, 
must  have  heard  the  promise,  and  must  have  known 
also  of  the  vision  which  followed  it  in  the  Cleft  of  the 
Rock.     That  promise  now  belonged  to  him  ;  for  as 

*  Ex.  xxiii.  20,  21.        t  Ex.  xxxiii.  2,  3.  \  Ex.  xxxiii.  14. 

§  Is.  Ixiii.  9.  See  Keil  and  Delitzsch,  Com.  on  Pentateuch.  Vol. 
II..  p.  235. 


222  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

given  at  first,  it  had  made  mention  of  these  nations 
now  before  them,  and  declared  that  they  should  be 
thus  cut  off.  Was  not  this  the  time  of  need  ?  Was 
not  the  enemy  within  their  very  sight? — where  was 
the  Angel  then?  How  the  prayers  of  his  heart  must 
have  been  poured  out,  as  he  stood  and  looked.  What 
sign  would  the  Lord  give  him  ?  If  His  Face  was 
there,  would  He  show  it  ?  Not  in  great  glory,  not 
even  in  angelic  might,  did  the  Lord  appear ;  but  so 
simply,  so  humanly,  that  Joshua  saw  only  that  He 
was  a  stranger.  That  sword  in  His  hand  meant  war- 
fare. But  was  it  an  enemy,  or  was  it  indeed  some 
helper  sent  by  God  ?  And  now  he  learns  that  it  is  no 
earthly  captain,  but  the  great  Leader  of  all  the  heav- 
enly hosts  of  God.  Joshua  may  remain  the  Captain 
of  Israel's  forces,  but  meantime  another  Captain,  and 
another  army,  are  to  fight  their  battles  for  them,  and 
subdue  the  Land. 

There  had  been  previously  no  manifestation  of 
Jehovah,  which  so  mingled  the  human  and  the 
Divine.  Never  before  had  one  with  the  form  and 
voice  of  a  man,  called  upon  man  to  render  him  the 
honor  given  to  God  only. — Joshua  fell  on  his  face  to 
the  earth,  and  did  worship,  and  no  voice  restrained 
him,  saying — "  See  thou  do  it  not ;"  but,  "  the  Captain 
of  the  Lord's  host  said  unto  Joshua,  Loose  thy  shoe 
from  off  thy  foot ;  for  the  place  whereon  thou  stand- 
est  is  holy.     And  Joshua  did  so."*     Moses  had  done 

*  Josh.  V.  1 5. 


SEEING    THE   CAPTAIN. 


223 


this,  when  God  called  to  him  out  of  the  midst  of  the 
burning  bush;  but  now  a  man  worships  a  seeming 
Man :  this  heralds  the  Incarnation  and  anticipates 
the  Gospel.  In  the  revelation  of  this  Person  -this 
Prince — the  blessed  preparation  for  possessing  the 
land  clearly  culminates. 

It  is  true  that  the  eyes  of  one  man  only,  saw  this 
Captain  ;  but  in  some  sense  he  saw  for  all  his  people : 
he  saw  Him  but  for  a  few  moments,  and  yet  he  saw 
for  all  those  years  of  warfare.  Never  in  any  coming 
hour  of  battle,  could  he  forget  that  there  before 
them  stood  One,  whose  sword  it  was  inconceivable 
that  any  foe  could  resist.  Nor  could  he  ever  feel 
again,  that  further  responsibility  rested  upon  him, 
than  faithfully  to  follow.  Another  led  them  on ; 
Another  gave  command  ;  Another  always  conquered. 
There  are  often  sudden  revelations  to  the  soul,  which 
contain  the  strength  of  years  to  come — which,  like  the 
lightning  flash  in  the  darkness,  reveal  the  path,  where 
the  feet  may  tread  safely,  long  afterward.  To  have 
seen  the  Lord,  though  for  a  moment,  that  is  to  be 
strong  for  a  whole  life. 

In  granting  such  a  revelation  to  Joshua,  as  a  per- 
sonal privilege,  the  Lord  recognized  a  very  real  need 
in  our  nature.  The  heart  instinctively  demands  a 
Person,  as  the  object  of  its  trust,  and  the  closest  pos- 
sible knowledge  of  that  Person.  You  give  to  such  a 
craving  heart  a  creed ;  it  may  be  well,  but  it  is  only 
another  need  that  vou  have  met.     You  give  it  doc- 


2'>4  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

trine ;  you  give  it  the  various  relations  of  truth ;  it 
gathers  up  its  treasure,  and  still  is  full  of  longing ; 
for  this  human  heart  is  all  alive,  and  can  find  commun- 
ion only  in  life.  You  go  further  still,  and  give  it  the 
clearest  teaching  of  a  Personal  Christ,  and  of  the  ab- 
solute personality  of  the  Spirit ;  but  only  all  the 
more  will  it  reach  out  beyond  even  this,  and  say — 
"  My  heart  and  my  flesh  crieth  out  for  THE  Living 
God  !"  "  We  would  see  jfesuSy*  is  the  demand  of  the 
most  distant,  who  have  heard  of  Him  afar  off;  and 
it  is  the  one  overmastering  desire  of  those  who  have 
come  the  nearest. 

In  w^hat  way,  then,  and  to  what  extent,  has  Christ 
provided  for  the  satisfaction  of  this  desire?  The  In- 
carnation has  met  it  in  part.  The  foundation  for  it 
was  laid  very  solidly  in  that  mystery — "  God  manifest 
in  the  flesh."  Nor  is  the  blessing  of  that  manifesta- 
tion at  all  limited  to  the  brief  period  in  which  it  was 
a  present  fact ;  it  reaches  back  through  all  the  time, 
in  which  Prophecy  pointed  expectantly  to  the  Com- 
ing One,  and  forward  through  all  the  ages  to  which 
the  testimony  of  His  life  is  handed  down.  Apart 
from  the  basis  of  such  a  fact,  a  spiritual  revelation 
could  have  little  power:  all  would  be  vague  and  shad- 
owy, and  there  could  be  little  vividness  of  mental 
or  spiritual  apprehension.  But  this  the  Incarnation 
has  secured;  and  the  blessedness  of  it  has  been  em- 
phasized for  us,  by  the  one  who  knew  it  beyond  all 
others,  and  yet   sought  to  share  it  with  all — "  That 


SEEING    THE   CAPTAIN.  ^2^ 

which  was  from  the  beginning,  that  which  v/c  have 
heard,  that  which  we  /lave  seen  with  our  eyes,  that 
which  we  lookeei  upon,  and  our  hands  handled,  con- 
cerning the  Word  of  Life— (And  the  \i{^  was  mani- 
fested, and  we  have  seen  it,  and  bear  witness  of  it, 
and  declare  to  you  that  Life  which  is  eternal,  the 
which  was  with  the  Father  and  was  manifested  to  us) 
—that  which  we  have  heard  and  seen,  we  declare  to 
you  also,  in  order  that  ye  also  may  have  communion 
•with  usr  *  Such  a  reality,  preserved  by  such  testi- 
mony, may  transmit  to  an  unlimited  future  the  fellow- 
ship of  Christ.  Jesus  has  lived  upon  this  earth  ;  and 
the  simple  belief  of  this  record  by  all  those  whose 
eyes  never  saw  Him,  brings  a  blessing  not  sur- 
passed by  theirs  who  because  they  saw,  therefore 
believed.  Bethlehem  and  Calvary  share  in  the  mys- 
terious nature  of  Eternity,  stretching  backward  and 
forward. 

But  the  outward  manifestation  of  Christ  is  not  our 
sole  need  ; — there  is  still  a  deeper,  which  not  even  the 
endless  perpetuation  of  His  life  upon  this  earth,  could 
have  met.  "  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away," 
said  Jesus— expedient,  because  He  must  reveal  Him- 
self, both  more  intimately,  and  more  universally,  to 
His  own.  He  must  come  in  such  away  that  not  only 
in  Galilee  and  Judea,  may  great  multitudes  behold 
Him — but  that  over  all  the  earth,  without  any  inter- 
vening space  for  the  foot  to  travel,  wherever  a  long- 

*  I  John  i.  1-3.     See  Dean  Alford's  "  Greek  Testament.'^ 
10* 


226  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

ing  eye  is  lifted,  there  it  shall  see  Jesus.  He  must 
come,  moreover,  in  such  a  way,  that  something  more 
precious  even  than  outward  presence — His  spirit,  His 
inner  life — may  be  revealed,  and  revealed  also  to  that 
which  is  highest  in  us — our  spirit.  Even  when  out- 
wardly manifested,  there  was  no  true  perception  of 
Him  without  this.  When  Peter  confessed  Him  as 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  it  was  the  Father 
who  revealed  it  unto  him.  So  also  no  man  was  ever 
to  be  able  to  say  that  Jesus  Christ  was  Lord,  but  by 
the  Holy  Ghost.  It  was  an  inestimable  blessing  to 
St.  Paul,  to  be  added  as  last  of  the  many  hundred 
witnesses  who  saw  the  Lord  in  His  resurrection 
Body ;  ^  but  it  was  a  blessing  even  beyond  this  to 
have  Christ  revealed  in  him.f  Unquestionably  the 
fullest  revelation  of  all  will  be  that  which  will  com- 
bine both  of  these ;  and  while  we  exult  in  the  glo- 
rious manifestation  of  Christ  through  the  Spirit,  we 
may  not  forget  that  the  true  Apocalypse  is  yet  to 
come.  Not  till  He  who  has  redeemed  our  Spirits, 
shall  have  redeemed  our  Bodies  also,  can  we  see 
Him  as  He  is — ''  face  to  face."  But  being  what  we 
now  are,  the  manifestation  through  the  Spirit,  is  a 
richer  blessing  than  was  given  in  the  days  of  His 
flesh.  While  we  wait  for  His  coming  to  receive  us 
unto  Himself,  we  know  that  He  has  said  of  that 
time  of  waiting—"  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless : 
♦  I  Coj .  XV.  6,  8.  f  Gal.  i.  i6. 


SEEING  THE  CAP TA I IV.  227 

I  will  come  to  you.  Yet  a  little  while,  and  the  world 
seeth  me  no  more  ;  but  ye  see  me.""^ 

What  then  is  the  nature  of  this  coming? — Is  it  to 
be  a  mere  influence,  reaching  us  from  One  who  dwells 
afar  off? — Is  it  only  thinking  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
giving  Him  a  place  in  our  hearts — nay,  enshrining 
Him  in  our  deepest  affections? — A  strange  question 
is  this  to  ask,  in  the  face  of  such  promises ;  and  yet 
this  is  the  poor  pittance  that  many  gather  from  His 
blessed  words!  And  they  will  tell  you,  how  when 
a  beloved  earthly  friend  goes  far  from  you,  your 
thoughts  will  follow  still  to  the  other  side  of  the 
globe,  and  so  bring  the  cherished  presence  back; 
that  his  image  will  abide  in  your  heart ;  his  life  as 
you  have  known  it  still  influence  your  life ;  so  that 
still  he  seems  ever  with  you  ; — and  that  even  thus  it 
is  that  Christ  dwells  in  our  hearts  by  faith. 

All  this  is  true,  but  it  is  only  a  tithe  of  the  great 
spiritual  truth. — We  see  at  once  that  were  there 
nothing  beyond  this  ideal  presence,  we  could  never 
claim  for  it  a  real  personality.  But  this  personality 
it  was  that  Jesus  promised,  and  so  carefully  reiter- 
ated— '*  I  will  not  leave  you  orphans ;  /  will  come 
to  you  :" — '^He  the  spirit  of  truth  shall  come."  It  is 
not  only  our  thought  following  Him  into  His  heavenly 
home;  it  is  not  only  His  thought  constantly  fixed 
upon  us  in  the  midst  of  His  glory — but  it  is  a  Power 

*  John  xiv.  1 8,  19. 


228  ^-^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

it  is  a  Presence — it  is  a  PERSON  who  comes — "/  will 
^^;;^^"_"/will  see  you" — "/will  mmiifest  myself ^ 

And  in  this  last  form  of  promise,  He  clearly  gives 
us  to  understand  that  we  should  have  perception  of 
His  presence.  He  would  make  His  coming  clear  and 
satisfying  to  our  souls — a  substance,  not  a  shadow. 
He  would  give  an  evidence  which  should  appeal  not 
indeed  to  bodily  senses,  but  to  spiritual :  He  implies 
that  they  also  are  trustworthy;  that  as  the  sight, 
and  hearing,  and  touch,  are  accepted  as  soundest  evi- 
dence, unless  the  witness  be  disqualified  by  bodily  or 
mental  disease — so  a  spiritual  sense,  more  subtle,  but 
not  less  sure,  should  attest  the  reality  of  spiritual 
things.  Not  only  are  we  warranted  in  accepting  such 
impressions  as  conclusive  to  ourselves,  but  there  may 
be  results  which  shall  become  appreciable  evidence  to 
others.  The  words  of  Jesus  respecting  our  being 
born  of  the  Spirit,  may  apply  to  every  subsequent 
manifestation  of  His — "  The  wind  bloweth  where  it 
listeth,  and  thoii  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but  canst 
not  tell  whence  it  cometh,  and  whither  it  goeth :" 
Something  shown,  and  something  secret — concealing, 
even  while  revealing — this  is  for  the  present  the  man- 
ner of  the  Spirit,  and  the  way  of  all  Divine  manifes- 
tations. The  evidence  is  addressed  to  Faith ;  and 
while  there  will  always  be  enough  to  meet  its  needs, 
the  false  demands  of  Reason  will  not  be  met.  Such 
a  manifestation  can  nev^cr  be  less  than  a  mystery; 
but  it  is  one  of  the  mysteries  which  Christ  has  said 


SEEING  THE  CAPTAiy 


229 


should  be  given  to  us  to  know.     How  clearly  is  such 
evidence  contrasted   by  St.   Paul  with  that   of  the 
senses,  and  yet  claimed  to  be  equally  reliable — "  Eye 
hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard" — ''but  God  hath  re- 
vealed by  His  Spirit ;"  and  again  we  have  the  same 
contrast,  and  claim — ''  What  man  knoweth  the  things 
of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is  in  him  ? 
even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the 
Spirit   of  God.     Now  we  have   received   the   Spirit 
which  is  of  God ;  that  we  might  know  the  things 
that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God."     To  make  this 
still  clearer,  it  is  added—*'  The  natural  (psychical)  man 
receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  neither 
can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned."*    No  words  could  well  make  it  plainer,  that 
both  the  revelation,  and  the  perception,  are  God's 
gifts  to  the  believer ;  that  in  receiving  spiritual  life, 
he  receives  new  powers,  and  new  senses ; — in  fact,  an 
absolute  enlargement  and  elevation  of  his  being.  Yet 
it  is  also  shown  to  be  necessary,  that  by  reason  of 
use  these  senses  should  be  exercised.     In  the   fact 
that  they  are  so  often  neglected,  lies  the  explanation 
of  very  much  of  the  weakness  and  helplessness  of 
those,  who  in  these  respects  are  babes,  when  they 
should  be  men  of  full  age.     Yet  how  difficult  for  one 
to  describe  what  sight  and  hearing  are,  to  the  blind 
and  deaf;  and  almost  more  difficult  still  to  convey 


*  I  Cor.  ii.  9-14. 


2^0  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

their  nice  discriminations,  and  most  delicate  percep- 
tions, to  untrained  eyes  and  ears. 

Tliat  the  soul  has  such  a  perception,  that  such 
manifestations  of  Himself  are  given  by  Christ,  has 
been  in  all  ages  the  clear  consciousness,  and  calm 
testimony,  of  those  who  have  walked  most  closely 
with  God.  No  one  can  call  in  question  the  fact,  that 
under  the  old  Dispensation,  such  knowledge  of  heav- 
enly things  was  repeatedly  given;  —  that  not  only 
Prophets,  but  many  a  humbler  servant  of  God,  saw 
and  heard  far  beyond  the  range  of  his  natural  senses. 
Surely  that  which  was  extraordinary  and  exceptional 
then,  was  never  designed  to  utterly  vanish  with  the 
personal  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Christ's  own 
announcement  to  Nathaniel  teaches  us  quite  other- 
wise :  His  new  follower  marvelled  because  Jesus  haa 
seen  him  under  the  fig-tree  ;  but  the  time  had  come, 
when  His  disciples  should  not  only  be  seen,  but  see. — 
"  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  HENCEFORTH,  j^^/^^// 
see  heaven  open,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending 
and  descending  upon  the  Son  of  man."*  Nor  dare 
we  Hmit  these  words  to  spiritual  sight  :  the  Body 
which  is  hallowed  as  a  Temple  by  the  indwelling 
Spirit  may  have  its  vision  also  ;  and  it  is  not  for  us 
to  say,  how  soon  it  shall  be  given,  or  how  far  it  shall 
be  able  to  reach.  One  memorable  instance  we  have 
of  its  power,  when  Stephen,  "  being  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  looked  up  s^,eadfastly  into  heaven,  and  saw  the 

■•John  i.  51. 


SEEING    THE   CAPTAIN. 


231 


glory  of  God,  and  Jesus  standing  on  the  right  hand 
of  God,  and  said.  Behold,  /  sec  the  heavens  opened^ 
and  the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of 
God.""^  And  if  we  may  judge  at  all  from  well- 
avouched  records  in  the  past,  and  from  the  sacred 
scenes  that  are  cherished  in  so  many  memories  of  the 
living,  there  must  have  been  thousands  upon  thou- 
sands since  Stephen  fell  asleep,  who  ready  to  depart 
and  be  with  Christ,  had  not  only  spiritual  vision  of 
Him — but  as  if  in  pledge  and  foretaste  of  their  resur- 
rection, knew  the  Spirit  so  to  quicken  their  mortal 
bodies,  that  the  eye  saw,  and  the  ear  heard.  Cher- 
ished as  such  instances  rightly  are,  as  sacred  secrets 
by  the  survivors,  they  can  not  be  discredited  by  thou- 
sands of  others  that  might  be  cited,  of  the  hallucina- 
tions of  unbalanced  and  unregulated  minds ;  though 
even  in  these  instances  what  may  be  the  residuum  of 
truth,  and  how  far  the  Lord  may  condescend  to  great 
weakness  and  ignorance,  it  is  not  always  safe  for  us 
to  judge. f 

But  such  questions  lie  beyond  the  subject  properly 
before  us,  which  is  that  of  such  a  spiritual  jnanifesta- 
tioii  of  Christ  to  our  spirits  as  shall  be  both  sensible  and 
sure.  The  witnesses  of  I  this  reality  are  beyond  sus- 
picion, and  they  are  many,  albeit  not  multitudes. 

*  Acts  vii.  55,  56. 

t  In  this  exception  the  writer  has  chiefly  in  mind,  the  large 
number  of  such  statements  which  she  has  heard  from  the  former 
slaves  of  the  South — told  with  such  sincerity  that  one  could  not 
slight  them. 


232  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

That  the  world  at  large  knows  nothing  of  all  this, 
is  in  precise  accordance  with  the  limitations  of  the 
promise — "  Whom  the  world  can  not  receive,  because 
it  seeth  Him  not,  neither  knoweth  Him."  Again 
that  all  the  children  of  God  are  not  conscious  of  such 
a  presence,  that  with  many  it  is  rare  or  interrupted, 
and  with  others  so  faint  as  to  bring  little  assurance, 
is  also  precisely  what  we  might  infer  from  the  condi- 
tion of  the  promise — "  How  is  it,"  asked  one  of  his 
Lord,  "  that  thou  wilt  manifest  thyself  unto  us,  and 
not  unto  the  world  ?  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto 
him,  If  a  man  love  Me,  he  will  keep  My  words  :  and 
my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  unto  him, 
and  make  our  abode  with  him."*  Once  more — "  He 
that  followeth  Me,"  said  Jesus,  "  shall  not  walk  in 
darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light  of  life."f  Will  not 
those  who  love  most,  know  most  of  the  Holy  Pres- 
ence ?  Will  not  those  who  follow  closely,  see  much ; 
and  those  who  follow  afar  off,  see  little  ?  And  yet 
there  are  instances  of  apparently  close  walking,  where 
the  Heavenly  vision  is  not  given :  there  are  loving  souls 
that  can  find  no  link  between  them  and  their  Lord, 
more  real  and  living  than  His  Word  which  He  has 
left  them.  Baffling  as  are  some  of  these  cases,  yet  in 
many  of  them — only  He  who  searches  the  heart  can 
know  whether  in  all  or  not— there  are  visible  hin- 
drances. Such  a  hindrance,  is  the  assertion  of  the 
natural  powers  beyond  their  proper  province  ;  for 
♦  John  xiv.  22,  23.  .        t  John  viii.  12. 


SEEING    THE   CAPTAIN,  233 

Reason,  and  keen  Analysis  are  out  of  their  sphere  in 
this  Presence.  When  they  are  even  applied  to  the 
experience  of  others,  the  sensitive  soul  shrinks  from 
them  as  from  the  horror  of  a  vivisection.  Especially 
is  there  a  lack  in  many  of  that  childlikeness  of  spirit, 
which  is  always  foremost  in  privilege — the  readiness 
and  the  receptivity  of  the  guileless  spirit,  and  the 
quick  response  to  the  least  token  of  His  presence  : — 
"'  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
as  a  little  child,  shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein."  And 
if  it  must  be  so  that  he  enters  the  kingdom,  how 
otherwise  shall  he  see  the  King  ? 

"  The  childlike  faith  that  asks  not  sight. 
Waits  not  for  wonder  or  for  sign, 
Believes,  because  it  loves  aright — 
Shall  see  things  greater,  things  divine." 

Again,  how  often  is  the  hindrance  some  slight  reser- 
vation. The  soul,  half  conscious  of  the  difficulty, 
argues — But  this  is  such  a  little  thing ;  besides,  it  is  a 
somewhat  doubtful  thing;  it  could  not  surely  hinder 
my  Lord  from  revealing  Himself.  But,  remember,  it 
is  written,  ''  If  a  man  love  Me,"  and  has  true  love  any 
reserve  ?  Have  you  never  known  how  a  very  little 
concealment  may  mar  a  human  fellowship?  Have 
you  never  noticed,  also,  how  the  extent  to  which  you 
can  speak  of  very  little  things  to  others,  and  seek 
their  counsel  in  them,  measures  not  only  your  confi- 
dence, but  the  mutual  intimacy?  We  love  to  go 
often  to   that  home  where  nothing  is  hidden  from 


234  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

US,  nothing  changed  for  our  coming ;  but  where  the 
whole  hfe  as  it  is,  is  lived  out  simply  before  us.  Vis- 
its of  ceremony  are  not  pleasurable  upon  either  side, 
and  the  Comforter  never  so  comes. 

Still  another  hindrance  exists  in  the  vague  appre- 
hension of  the  promise  itself,  so  that  many  might 
answer,  not  wholly  unlike  the  disciples  at  Ephesus: 
"  We  have  not  so  much  as  heard  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
does  so  manifest  Himself,  and  that  we  may  enjoy  the 
presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  Faithful  answers  re- 
turned from  all  Christendom  to  this  question — What 
is  the  Presence  of  Christ  to  your  souls?  —  would 
doubtless  bring  to  light  an  astonishing  sum  of  igno- 
rance as  to  this  great  blessing.  Finally,  the  position 
will  be  taken  by  many,  that  this  is  a  treasure  so 
choice  as  to  be  offered  only  to  a  few  ;  and  that  while 
some  are  no  doubt  permitted  to  enjoy  this  richest  of 
God's  gifts,  the  majority  must  be  content  to  walk  by 
faith,  and  not  by  sight.  They  say,  mournfully,  "  The 
Quest  is  not  for  me."  But  surely  the  promise  of 
Christ  is  partial,  only,  in  requiring  a  certain  sort  of 
receptivity  which  His  grace  makes  possible  to  all  be- 
lievers. Not  a  hint  is  given  of  any  other  restriction. 
The  gift  of  the  Spirit  implies  every  degree  of  privi- 
lege to  which  we  will  suffer  Him  to  guide  us,  and  that 
gift,  the  Apostle  Peter  declared  to  be  ''  unto  you  and 
to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as 
many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call."* 

*  Acts  ii.  39. 


SEEING   THE  CAPTAIN.  235 

As  to  the  invidious  distinction,  drawn  between 
walking  by  faith  and  walking  by  sight,  it  is  quite  irrel- 
evant to  the  question.  For  what  is  Faith,  if  we 
accept  the  only  direct  definition  of  it  which  is  given 
in  the  Scriptures?  "Now,  Faith  is  the  substance 
{vTToaraaLg)  of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  (fc'Aey;^oc) 
of  things  not  seen."  *  Whatever  may  be  the  full  force 
of  these  words,  whether  we  choose  to  fritter  away 
their  grand  objective  solidity,  to  a  mere  subjective 
shadow  or  not — one  thing  it  is  certain,  they  can  not 
mean ; — a  mere  belief  adout  the  things  hoped  for  and 
unseen.  They  suggest  no  possible  contrast  to  sight, 
but  even  in  their  lowest  significance,  confirm  the  fact 
of  an  inner  vision,  of  the  most  certain  kind,  enjoyed 
by  Faith.  When  St.  Paul  spoke  of  walking  "  by  faith 
and  not  by  appearance^'  f  he  was  dwelling  upon  the 
difference  between  this  inner  vision,  and  that  more 
open  one  which  awaits  us  in  the  Resurrection — so 
much  more  glorious  and  satisfying,  that  we  can  not 
cease  from  longing  for  it. 

It  is  not  easy  to  appreciate  the  knowledge  of  any- 
thing of  which  we  are  ignorant ;  and  so  the  question 
has  been  asked — '  Of  what  practical  use  can  such  a 
manifestation  be?  Does  it  secure  anything  beyond 
mere  transient  joy  ?  May  not  one  be  as  strong  who 
simply  takes  the  Word  of  God,  and  walks  by  its 
light,  trusting  to  the  secret  cooperation  of  the 
Spirit?' 

*  Heb.  xi.  I.  t  2  Cor.  v.  6-8. 


236  ^-^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

-  No  one  who  has  ever  known  the  Lord  in  the  way 
which  He  has  promised,  could  possibly  assent  to  this. 
The  higher  knowledge  of  Jesus  is  absolutely  incom- 
municable, through  even  the  most  precious  of  those 
words  given  by  inspiration  of  God — "  I  have  heard 
of  Thee  by  the  hearing  of  the  ear,  but  now  mine  eye 
seeth  Thee,''  marks  a  new  mode  of  acquainting  oneself 
with  the  Lord.  It  is  as  with  the  friends  we  love. 
We  may  have  known  much  through  hearing  of  them, 
much  more  through  the  frequent  reading  of  their  own 
best  thoughts,  and  yet,  when  for  the  first  time  we 
meet,  a  few  days  of  personal  presence  puts  us  in  such 
possession  of  their  inmost  nature,  of  the  character  as 
a  whole,  and  of  our  own  share  in  their  love,  as  it  were 
hopeless  to  think  of  gaining  in  any  other  way.  True, 
we  have  to  wait  for  the  full  day-dawn,  and  the  Day- 
Star,  to  know  even  as  we  are  known ;  but  even  in  the 
light  of  the  Morning  Star,  we  do  know  in  part.  This 
knowledge  of  His  blessed  Presence,  enriches  and  en- 
dears all  other  knowledge  of  Him.  It  is  a  constant  illu- 
mination for  His  Word ;  for  now,  as  we  read,  we  see 
ever  the  expression  of  His  eye ;  as  we  listen,  we  ever 
hear  the  intonation  of  His  own  voice ;  the  word  be- 
comes a  living  Word,  when  Faith  has  seen  the  Lord. 
But,  not  only  docs  the  manifest  presence  of  Jesus 
give  fuller  knowledge,  and  impart  greater  strength, 
but  beyond  anything  else,  it  intensifies  Love.  It  is 
the  instinctive  yearning  of  love  to  be  near  the  beloved 
one.    T\ic  richest  part  of  its  life  is  in  that  love.     Is  it 


SEEING   THE  CAPTAIN.  237 

not,  then,  because  God  is  Love,  that  He  so  manifests 
Himself? — that  He  can  not  stay  far  off  from  the  de- 
sire of  His  own  eyes? — and  that,  therefore,  if  a  man 
love  Him  and  keep  His  words,  the  Father  will  love 
him,  and  they — Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit— will 
come  and  make  their  abode  in  him  who  so  loves  ?  He 
who  has  missed  this  presence  of  the  Lord,  has  missed 
the  joy  of  joys — "  the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  our 
hearts,  by  the  Holy  Ghost  which  is  given  unto  us." 
He  who  has  missed  this  Presence,  has  missed  also  one 
of  the  chief  secrets  of  his  sanctification.  How  can 
any  one  become  like  the  Lord,  without  seeing  Him  ? 
— since  we  are  told  that  it  is  by  beholding  in  a  mirror 
the  glory  of  the  Lord,  that  we  are  changed  into  the 
same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord.  When  the  heart  turns  to  the  Lord  with 
the  veil  that  hides  this  glory,  He  has  said  that  it  shall 
be  taken  away;  He  who  heard  the  prayer  of. Moses 
will  hear  our  prayer,  "  /  beseech  Thee,  show  7ne  Thy 
Gloryr 

And  only  to  such  seeking  souls,  is  there  any  secu- 
rity that  they  will  find  Him.  Even  His  coming  again 
in  visible  glory,  is  limited  in  its  blessing,  "  unto 
them  who  look  for  Him.''  *  So  it  is  written  also,  "  The 
l^ord  whoin  ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  His  Tem- 
ple."t  And  we  may  venture  to  apply  to  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  by  His  Spirit,  that  which  was  said  of  His 
glorious  appearing,  "  Looking  for  and  hastening  His 

*  Heb.  ix.  28.  t  Mai.  iii.  i. 


238 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


coming."  Even  now,  the  Lord  whom  ye  seek,  and 
zvJioyn  ye  delight  in,  is  He  who  comes.  Nor  will  any 
fitful  seeking  suffice :  it  must  be  the  settled  attitude 
of  the  soul.  The  Good  Shepherd  seeketh  His  lost 
sheep  nntil  He  find  it,  and  thus  should  we  return  to 
the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  our  souls.  It  was  when 
Joshua  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  that  he  saw 
the  Heavenly  Captain: — How  many  may  miss  their 
Lord  for  want  of  this  !  We  see  quickly,  and  see 
often,  whatever  interests  us  most.  The  Naturalist 
will  put  to  shame  a  common  eye,  by  the  ease  with 
which  he  everywhere  discovers  his  treasures :  he  has 
learned  where  to  look  and  how  to  look.  In  this  busy, 
bustling  age,  the  Christian  too  often  allows  the  hurry 
of  the  world  to  sweep  away  all  repose  of  soul ;  so 
that  he  has  no  noontide  hour  when  he  can  sit  like 
Abraham  in  his  tent-door,  ready  to  call  in  the  angels ; 
with  leisure  enough  to  lift  up  his  eyes  and  look,  and 
with  love  enough  to  run  to  meet  the  heavenly  Visitant, 
and  constrain  Him  to  tarry,  saying — "  My  Lord,  if  now 
I  have  found  favor  in  Thy  sight,  pass  not  away,  I  pray 
Thee,  from  Thy  servant."  * 

Blessed  be  God  that  seeing  the  Lord  Jesus,  we  see 
Plim  as  our  Captain,  not  only  commanding  His  army 
here  on  earth — but  Prince  of  all  principalities  and  pow- 
ers. The  whole  host  of  heaven  is  at  His  command  : 
He  can  send  forth,  as  He  pleases,  the  ministering 
spirits,  "  to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of 

*  Gen.  xviii.  1-3. 


SEEING   THE  CAPTAIN.  230 

salvation."  Having  seen  His  Face  as  our  light  and 
our  salvation,  how  calmly  can  we  front  the  enemy. 
"Though  an  host  should  encamp  against  me,  my 
heart  shall  not  fear ;  though  war  should  rise  against 
me,  in  this  will  I  be  confident."* 

And  blessed  be  God  for  the  Sword  that  our  Cap- 
tain holds — that  out  of  His  mouth  there  goeth  the 
sharp,  two-edged  sword :  for  He  speaks  and  it  is 
done ;  He  utters  His  word,  and  out  of  weakness  we 
are  made  strong ;  again  He  utters  it  and  all  our  ene- 
mies melt  away.  Having  seen  Jesus,  have  we  seen 
also  the  flashing  of  the  sword  of  the  Spirit?  All 
Holy  Scripture  that  has  been  written,  still  cometh 
out  of  His  mouth  in  its  fulfilment,  quick  and  power- 
ful to  do  its  work,  alike  by  the  Blessing  and  the 
curse,  the  Promise  and  the  woe. 

Great  Prince  of  Faith,  going  forth  before  Thine 
armies,  let  Thine  "  eyes  as  a  flame  of  fire  "  kindle  all 
our  hearts  with  holy  courage  ;  and  hold  us  by  Thine 
own  power,  "  looking  unto  Jesus  " — till  Thou  comest 
"  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,"  and  we  see  Thee  FACE  TO 

FACE. 
♦  See  ?s.  x.xv'i.  1-4. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE     GOOD     FIGHT      OF     FAITH. 
*^n^HE    PEOPLE    PASSED    OVER     RIGHT     AGAINST 

i  Jericho." — {Josh.  iii.  i6.)  "And  the  Lord 
SAID  UNTO  Joshua,  See,  I  have  given  into 
thine  hand  Jericho." — {yosh,  vi.  2.) 

The  time  was  past  for  leading  the  people  about, 
lest  they  should  repent  at  the  sight  of  war.  They 
had  come  over  Jordan  to  possess  the  land,  and  were 
thoroughly  advised  that  they  must  therefore  dispos- 
sess their  enemies.  Moreover,  it  was  well  for  them 
to  learn  at  the  very  outset,  that  their  God  was  able 
to  save  them  in  their  sorest  straits,  and  to  show  Him- 
self stronger  than  the  strongest,  that  so  they  might  be 
set  free  from  the  fear  of  every  foe.  Therefore,  even 
while  passing  over  Jordan,  they  faced  the  Fortress, 
the  key  to  all  the  Land.  Joshua  had  fully  under- 
stood its  importance,  when  he  sent  the  two  men  from 
Shittim,  to  view  the  land,  even  Jericho.  The  terror 
that  fell  upon  that  stronghold,  might  well  cause 
"  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  to  faint,"  because 
of  this  advancing  host.  Here,  then,  the  work  was  to 
(240) 


THE  GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  24 1 

begin,  which  was  to  result  in  the  driving  out  of  seven 
nations  mightier  than  they.  The  conquest  of  this 
one  city  forecast  the  whole  campaign. 

The  question  now  arises,  Wherein  do  these  new 
enemies  differ  from  those  already  encountered  ? 
Egypt  had  been  their  enemy,  but  God  in  delivering*. 
them  from  that  oppression,  had  said,  "  The  Egyp- 
tians whom  ye  have  seen  to-day,  ye  shall  see  them 
again  no  more  forever.""^  Pharaoh  and  his  host,  hard- 
ly letting  the  people  go,  are  vivid  types  of  the  bond- 
age of  this  world,  and  the  tyranny  of  ''  the  god  of  this 
world."  But,  however  sore  the  struggle,  or  hot  the 
pursuit,  God  so  delivers  His  own,  that  henceforth 
they  are  "  not  of  the  world,"  nor  the  "  servants  of 
sin."  But  now  follow  conflicts  of  another  character. 
The  next  encounter  of  Israel  was  with  Amalek.f 
This  tribe  which  took  its  name  from  the  grandson  of 
Esau,  cherished  all  the  bitter  hatred  that  sought  to 
avenge  a  bartered  birthright.  Its  mode  of  attack,  as 
recounted  by  Moses,  was  full  of  malice.  "  He  met 
thee  by  the  way,  and  smote  the  hindmost  of  thee, 
even  all  that  were  feeble  behind  thee,  when  thou 
wast  faint  and  weary.":]:  Here  is  the  fitting  type  of 
the  Flesh,  with  which  name  the  Scriptures  stamp  the. 
whole  natural  man,  with  his  wild  and  wayward 
nature.  ''  As  then,  he  that  was  born  after  the  flesh, 
persecuted  him  that  was  born  after  the  Spirit,  even  so 


*  Ex.  xiv.  13.  t  Ex.  xvii.  8.  |  Deut.  xxv.  18. 

II 


242  '^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

it  is  noivy'^  Only  too  closely  does  that  stealthy 
attack  of  their  own  kin,  in  an  unguarded  moment,  re- 
semble those  temptations  which  waylay  the.  soul, 
when  "  the  spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is 
weak ;"  when  the  inward  man  delights  indeed  in  the 
law  of  God,  but  finds  "  another  law "  in  this  same 
flesh,  warring  against  him.  Only  discomfited  and 
held  at  bay  in  this  attack,  Israel  was  charged  to  "  re- 
member what  Amalek  did,"  and  when  the  Lord  had 
given  them  rest  from  all  other  enemies  in  the  land, 
then  they  were  to  "  blot  out  his  remembrance  from 
under  heaven."f  So  Moses  builded  his  altar,  and 
*'  called  the  name  of  it  Jehovah  Nissi ;  for  he  said, 
Because  the  Lord  hath  sworn,  that  the  Lord  will  have 
war  with  Amalek  from  generation  to  generation.":]: 
Again  and  again  in  the  history  of  the  Judges,  we  find 
this  nomad  nation  helping  to  oppress  Israel.  Saul 
lost  his  kingdom  because  he  did  not  execute  the  fierce 
wrath  of  the  Lord  against  Amalek ;  while  David  was 
established  in  his,  only  after  he  had  returned  from 
that  slaughter,  in  which  he  recovered  all  that  he  had 
lost.§  So  that  the  first  foe  encountered  after  their 
redemption  was  the  last  to  be  utterly  subdued. 

*  Gal.  iv.  29.        t  Dcut.  xxv.  17-19.  %  Ex.  xvii.  15,  16. 

§  I  Sam.  XXX.  19.  In  this  final  destruction  of  Amalek  at  the 
setting  up  of  the  kingdom,  there  seems  shadowed,  forth  the  end  of 
the  long  warring  of  the  Flesh  against  the  Spirit,  in  the  kingdom  of 
the  true  David.  After  all  the  great  distress,  and  the  weeping — "  till 
they  had  no  more  power  to  weep  " — David  pursued,  and  recov- 
ered  all   that  had  been  carried  captive.     "There  was   nothing 


THE  GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  243 

This  conflict  with  Amalek  was  the  only  contest  up 
to  the  time  of  the  Provocation.  Immediately  after 
that,  when  the  people  attempted  to  enter  the  land 
presumptuously,  in  their  own  strength,  we  find  a  sig- 
nificant combination  of  the  Amalekites  and  Canaan-- 
ites,  which  resulted  in  Israel's  discomfiture  and  flight 
to  Hormah  *  Near  the  expiration  of  the  forty  years, 
on  their  return  to  this  same  place,  the  Canaanitcs 
"  took  some  of  them  prisoners."  It  was  then  that 
"  Israel  vowed  a  vow  unto  the  Lord,"  to  put  all  their 
cities  under  a  ban,  as  He  should  deliver  them  into 
their  hand.  After  the  victory  "  they  called  the  place 
Hormah,"  i.  e.  "  the  banning-placey\  These  few  con- 
tests were  intermediate. 

The  next  phase  of  warfare  is  totally  different. 
Israel  is  at  last  prepared  to  assume  the  aggress- 
ive. We  have  upon  the  east  of  Jordan  a  sort  of 
rehearsal  of  the  main  conquest.  "  Rise  ye  up,  take 
your  journey,  and  pass  over  the  river  Arnon :  behold 
I  have  given  into  thine  hand  Sihon  the  Amorite,  king 
of  Heshbon,  and  his  land  :  begin  to  possess  it,  and 
contend   with   him   in   battle."  %     Then  follows   the 

lacking  to  them,  neither  small  nor  great David  recovered 

all."  So  Ave  know  that  down  to  the  very  victory  of  the  grave, 
Christ  will  "  wit hoid  fail  recover  all."  Also,  as  at  the  Exodus, 
they  had  sfioiled  the  Eg>'ptians,  so  here  we  read  of  flocks  and 
herds  which  were  driven  back  with  their  own,  of  which  they  said, 
•'  This  is  David's  spoil." 

*  Num.  xiv.  40-45. 

1  Num.  xxi.  1-3.    See  Keil  and  Delitzsch.  \  Deut.  ii.  24, 


244  ^^"^  FULNESS  OF  Bi^ESSING. 

overthrow,  so  often  celebrated  in  their  songs,  of 
Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites,  and  Og,  king  of  Bashan, 
whose  lands  became  their  possession.  This  was  in- 
troductory warfare."^ 

Still  the  main  struggle  awaited  them  over  Jor- 
dan ;  and  the  summons  was  now — "  Hear,  O  Israel : 
Thou  art  to  pass  over  Jordan  this  day,  to  go  in  to 
possess  nations  greater  and  mightier  than  thyself, 
cities  great  and  fenced  up  to  heaven  ;  a  people  great 
and  tall,  the  children  of  the  Anakims,  whom  thou 
knowest,  and  of  whom  thou  hast  heard  say,  Who  can 
stand  before  the  children  of  Anak  !"  f  Again  and 
again  they  are  mentioned  by  their  names,  as  *'  seven 
nations  greater  and  mightier  than  thou."  Such  were 
the  enemies  who  held  the  inheritance  given  to  Abra- 
ham centuries  before,  and  whom  they  must  now  dis- 
possess and  destroy.     War  now  opens  in  earnest. 

In  like  manner,  the  main  struggle  of  the  Christian 
is  not  found  among  his  earlier  experiences.  The 
World  and  the  Flesh  may  have  caused  him  many  a 
conflict,  but  what  were  these  compared  to  the  more 
direct  power  of  the  Devil,  as  he  resists  with  all  his 
combined  forces  the  advancing  soul.  The  Epistle  to 
the  Ephesians,  which  describes  most  fully  our  rich 
spiritual  blessings,  gives  also  the  strongest  statements 

*  In  a  small  volume  entitled  "  High  Truth,"  by  the  Rev.  R. 
Ailken  [London  :  Macintosh],  there  is  a  very  interesting  applica- 
tion of  this  warfare  with  Sihon  and  Og.     See  pp.  60-70. 

t  Deut.  ix.  1,2. 


THE   GOOD   FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  245 

of  this  warfare,  and  the  profound  nature  of  it.  "  Our 
wresthng  is  against  governments,  against  powers, 
against  the  world  rulers  of  this  darkness,  against  the 
spiritual  armies  of  wickedness  in  heavenly  places  !" 
It  is  thus  against  '*  the  schemes  of  the  Devil  "  that 
we  are  to  stand.* 

This  subject  involves  some  of  the  profoundest  mys- 
teries that  surround  our  being.  While  naturalism  has 
proudly  denied  the  existence  of  Satan,  even  Christen- 
dom has  largely  ignored  it.  Where  the  Scriptures 
speak  simply  and  strongly,  and  doubtless  with  the 
profoundest  philosophic  truth,  of  the  Devil  and  of 
Demons,  of  their  power  to  bind,  and  afflict,  and  op- 
press—  giving  us  their  very  numbers  —  whether  one, 
or  seven,  or  a  legion  —  expressing  their  fears,  which 
are  like  no  human  fears,  and  their  instant  knowledge 
of  Christ,  with  much  else  that  clearly  characterized 
them,  how  many  Christians  think  of  this  language  as 
only  an  accommodation  to  the  superstition  of  the 
times.  May  it  not  be  possible  that  the  pride  of 
Science,  and  the  presumption  of  Christian  Reason, 
have  both  of  them  yet  to  be  humbled,  by  some  sub- 
stratum of  terrible  truth  glaring  through  the  darkness 
and  deceit  of  "  Spiritualism  ?  " 

Very  plainly  by  all  the  assertions  of  Revelation, 
the>  chief  conflict  is  not  between  our  souls  and  the 
World  that  lieth  in  the  Wicked  One  ;  nor  is  it  only 
between  r.he  good  and  evil  in  our  own  natures.     The 

*  Eph.  vi.  II,  12.     (Dean  Alford's  rendering). 


>46 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


chief  contending  powers  tipon  both  sides  are  super- 
natural :  they  are  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  the  Prince 
of  the  power  of  the  air.  The  existence  of  this  super- 
natural region — the  fact  that  the  rebellion  originated 
there,  and  is  to  be  encountered  there,  even  in  heav- 
enly places — invests  our  share  in  the  warfare  with  the 
utmost  importance.  It  was  another  fall,  that  makes 
our  fall  the  fearful  thing  it  is  ;  and  our  susceptibility 
to  influences,  reaching  us  not  only  from  nature,  and 
our  fellow-beings,  but  from  other  worlds,  is  the  fate- 
ful element  of  all. 

For  the  dominion  once  allotted  to  man,  and  lost 
through  sin,  is  not  unoccupied — it  is  usurped:  the 
active  forces  of  evil  are  astir  over  the  entire  region. 
One  part  of  that  dominion  was  this  earth ;  but,  as  the 
result  of  this  usurpation,  we  find  Creation  marred,  and 
its  laws  disordered,  and  "  it  groaneth!'  We  find  the 
same  disorder,  but  still  more  rife,  in  the  body  of  man  ; 
its  sickness  and  its  sufferings,  its  frequent  deformity, 
and  its  common  shame — these  surely  are  no  part  of 
that  work  which  was  "very  good."  ^''An  enemy  hath 
done  this!'  But  the  Usurper  has  seized  the  intellect 
of  man,  and  sometimes  sinking  it  below  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  beasts,  has  more  often  stolen  the  gifts 
which  only  God  could  give,  to  make  them  subtle  as 
himself  in  all  evil  ends.  Again,  as  no  man  is  a  unit 
by  himself,  but  much  of  his  life  the  composite  life  of 
his  race,  we  behold  Society  in  all  its  ramifications, 
from  government  down  to  family  life,  poisoned  by  this 


THE  GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  247 

same  Serpent.  Hence,  the  oppression  of  Rulers,  vio- 
lence and  strife  among-  men,  malice  and  fraud,  envy 
^nd  evil-speaking,  and  the  Destroyer  pressing  closer 
and  closer  to  the  great  centres  of  society — at  last  man's 
chief  sufferings  spring  from  the  very  affections  which 
were  meant  to  link  him  to  his  kind.  The  highest 
civilizations  of  earth,  apart  from  the  Gospel,  have  left 
the  social  relations  as  they  found  them,  a  wreck. 
Finally,  the  Foe  entered  the  Citadel  also,  and  so 
seized  the  noblest  part  of  man — his  spirit — as  to  con- 
sign it  to  very  death — so  that  to  regain  it  he  must 
even  be  born  again. 

All  this  wide  dominion  which  he  has  usurped,  is 
the  dominion  to  be  regained.  Whether  it  be  sin,  or 
whether  it  be  sorrow,  or  whether  it  be  only  straitness, 
the  Lord  Jesus  came  to  "  destroy  t/ie  works  of  the 
Devil.''  His  Gospel  announces  the  final  recovery  of 
all  that  was  lost — a  time  of  ''  restitution  of  all  things," 
not  only  down  to  the  redemption  of  our  body,  but 
the  deliverance  of  Creation  also. 

But  this  is  not  all  that  the  Gospel  pledges.  To  His 
own  Church,  Christ  will  give  His  own  glory.  Man  in 
Him  is  to  be  made  higher  than  the  angels.  Our 
original  estate  in  Adam  was  blessed,  our  inheritance 
vast.  But  what  shall  be  said  of  the  glory  of  this? — 
this  Hope  of  our  Calling — the  riches  of  glory  of  our 
inheritance  in  Christ  f  Such  a  result  of  Redemption 
as  this — 


248  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

"Greater  good  because  of  evil. 
Larger  mercy  through  the  fall  " — 

must  needs  enrage  our  Adversary  to  resist  to  the 
utmost  the  purpose  of  God,  and  to  keep  us,  if  possi- 
ble, from  its  realization. 

The  War  of  Canaan  corresponds  to  this  great  con- 
test. Not  with  the  World — not  with  the  Flesh — it  is 
waged  directly  with  the  Devil,  from  whom  they  de- 
rive their  power,  and  who  may  employ  them  still  as 
his  instruments.  Above  all  it  is  aggressive.  We  must 
advance  upon  "  the  strong  man  keeping  his  palace 
with  his  goods  in  peace."  He  cares  not  to  come  forth 
and  begin  the  attack ;  but  so  soon  as  we  set  our  feet 
upon  "  the  heavenly  places,*"'  then  comes  that  onset 
which  St.  Paul  has  described  as  a  wrestling,  hand  to 
hand,  foot  to  foot.* 

It  has  been  said,  that  "  all  the  promises  of  God  to 
His  elect  take  hold  of  unfathomable  mysteries." 
And  as  the  natural  man  can  not  receive  these  things, 
as  they  can  only  be  spiritually  discerned,  the  first  wile 
of  Satan  is  to  keep  us  from  the  sight  of  them.  While 
he  wholly  blinds  the  eyes  of  them  that  believe  not, 
he  succeeds  in  drawing  over  the  eyes  of  many  a  be- 
liever, a  veil,  which  so  dims  these  mysteries  of  Grace, 
that  few  suspect  what  they  are  missing.  For  such,  the 
good   fight   of  faith   means   only  defensive  warfare. 

♦Eph.  vi.  12.  "7rta»7  must  be  literally  taken.  It  is  a  hand  to 
hand,  and  foot  to  foot '  tug  of  war'  — that  in  which  the  combatants 
close  and  wrestle  for  the  m^isi^ry."—  Dean  Al/orcTs  Greek  Test. 


THE   GOOD   FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  249 

Then  he  can  carry  his  wiles  still  further,  and  so  ob- 
scure the  conscience,  that  the  definition  of  sin  dwin- 
dles into  deliberate  disobedience  ;  till  for  the  sins  of 
ignorance,  and  the  sins  of  omission,  and  the  taint  of 
sin  through  our  whole  existence,  and  the  tendency  to 
sin  in  the  soul  itself,  there  is  no  discernment  left. 
Accordingly,  many  a  scheme  of  so-called  Sanctifica- 
tion  has  been  set  forth,  which  resolved  Holiness  into 
mere  integrity  of  purpose,  and  a  consciousness  which 
escaped  condemnation. 

Another  wile  of  Satan,  is  to  make  us  mistake  the 
field ;  to  regard  the  battle  before  us  as  chiefly  the 
more  visible  one,  between  the  children  of  God,  and 
the  children  of  the  Wicked  one.  It  is  true  we  must 
each  take  our  part  in  this  great  contest  of  the  whole 
Body  of  Believers ;  but  to  be  efficient  in  this  wider 
warfare,  another  victory  must  precede  it,  won  in  the 
secret  of  the  soul.  '*  He  that  ruleth  his  spirit  is  bet- 
ter than  he  that  taketh  a  city."  *  It  is  not  first  to 
storm  the  citadel  of  stubborn  hearts,  that  our  Cap- 
tain summons  us,  but  to  let  His  banner  wave  above 
our  own.  The  work  as  set  before  us  by  the  Scriptures 
is  this — "The  pulling  down  of  strongholds,  casting 


*  "  We  may  dream  that  it  would  be  a  grand  and  glorious  work, 
to  overcome  sin  in  the  world  :  we  may  think  of  sallying  out  on 
such  an  enterprise  for  the  sake  of  magnifying  ourselves  by  it: 
all  efforts,  however,  directed  towards  such  an  end  will  be  vain, 
until  we  have  gone  through  the  far  more  painful  and  toilsome 
task  ot  overcoming  sin  in  ourselves." — Archdeacon  Hares  Mi's^ 
non  of  the  Comforter,  p.  202. 


2  to  THE  FULNESS  OE  BLESSING. 

down  imaginations,  and  every  high  tower  that  exalt- 
eth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  leading 
captive  every  intent  of  the  mind  into  subjection  to 
Christ."*  Such  was  the  victory  won  by  the  Apostle 
Paul  in  his  owr  spirit,  and  which  he  coveted  for 
others.  Such  is  the  struggle,  or  call  it  rather  the 
victory,  that  awaits  the  consecrated  and  believing 
soul. 

Let  us  turn  now  to  trace  another  lesson  in  those 
things  which  "  happened  unto  them  for  types."  We 
see  that  as  it  did  not  please  the  Lord  to  expel  their 
enemies  before  their  entrance,  so  it  did  not  please 
Him  even  after  it,  to  expel  them  instantaneously. 
Each  would  have  been  perfectly  easy,  but  would  not 
have  accorded  with  the  plan  which  He  had  long 
before  announced.  It  was  at  Mt.  Sinai  that  He  had 
said — ''  I  will  not  drive  them  out  from  before  thee  in 
one  year;  lest  the  land  become  desolate,  and  the 
beast  of  the  field  multiply  against  thee,  By  little 
and  little  I  will  drive  them  out  from  before  thee, 
until  thou  be  increased  and  inherit  the  land."  f  Such 
is  that  principle  of  deepest  wisdom  which  guides  the 
ways  of  God,  and  which  may  be  traced  throughout 
His  Creation,  and  throughout  His  Providence;  which 
is  interwoven  in  all  History,  and  which  in  the  volume 
of  Inspiration,  is  seen  reaching  from  the  lost  Eden, 
to  the  Paradise  of  our  God.  Everywhere  with  a 
gracious  accommodation  of  Truth,  in  itself  unchange- 
♦  2  Cor.  X.  4,  5.  t  Ex.  xxiii.  29,  30. 


THE   GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH. 


251 


able,  is  the  word  spoken  unto  His  people  as  they  are 
able  to  bear  it.  In  all  things,  but  most  especially  in 
His  best  things,  docs  our  God  work  on  slowly  and 
steadily,  but  surely,  to  His  great  everlasting  end. 
Time  in  His  Eternity,  is  not  the  slow  thing  it  is  to 
us,  and  He  builds  for  Eternity. 

Forty  years  after  this  announcement  of  the  Divine 
plan  at  Sinai,  we  find  Moses  repeating  it  still  more 
explicitly — ^*  The  Lord  thy  God  will  put  out  those 
nations  before  thee  by  little  and  little  :  thou  mayest 
not  consume  them  at  once,  lest  the  beasts  of  the 
field  increase  upon  thee.  But  the  Lord  Thy  God 
shall  deliver  them  unto  thee,  and  shall  destroy  them 
with  a  mighty  destruction,  until  they  be  destroyed. 
And  He  shall  deliver  their  kings  into  thine  hand, 
and  thou  shalt  destroy  their  name  from  under  heaven ; 
there  shall  no  man  be  able  to  stand  before  thee,  until 
thou  have  destroyed  them."*  Three  points  are  to 
be  fioted  in  this  promise  : 

L  God  would  drive  them  out  by  little  ajid  little, 

n.  This  was  to  end  in  a  mighty  destruction. 

HL  Meantime  His  people  should  be  constant  victors. 

As  regards  the  first  point,  it  is  clear  that  this  grad- 
ual conquest  in  no  way  resulted  from  Israel's  unbelief, 
but  was  the  original  plan  of  God.  Not  in  one  year. 
He  had  said,  would  He  drive  out  before  them  these  old 
inhabitants ;  and  we  gather  from  the  history  that  it 


*  Deut.  vii.  22-24. 


252  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

was  seven  years  before  the  land  "  rested  from  war.  * 
If  the  inference  be  correct,  it  was  a  year  for  a  nation 
that  was  needed.  As  their  enemies  represented  in 
their  very  number  the  completeness  of  strength,  so 
may  the  number  of  the  years,  the  full  course  of  time. 

There  was  a  ''needs  be"  in  the  thoughts  of  God 
for  this  ''  little  and  little."  Their  enemies  were  not 
to  diminish  too  rapidly  in  proportion  to  their  own 
increase.  Unless  for  each  man  driven  out,  there 
were  found  an  Israelite  to  fill  his  place,  then  some- 
thing worse  than  a  man  would  take  it — "  the  beasts 
of  the  fieldy  Even  so  our  Lord  has  taught  us  that 
when  the  unclean  spirit  goes  out  of  a  man,  and  finds 
upon  his  return  to  his  house,  that  however  swept  and 
garnished,  it  is  empty,  with  no  master  to  defend  it, 
he  not  only  enters  himself,  but  takes  with  him  seven 
other  still  more  wicked  spirits :  "  and  the  last  state  of 
that  man  is  ivorse  than  the  first T  ^ 

Yet  it  is  a  lesson  which  the  world  is  slow  in  learn-' 
ing,  that  to  rescue  any  part  of  our  being,  any  of  our 


*  "  Joshua  made  war  with  the  kings  of  Canaan  a  long  time 
judging  from  chap.  xiv.  7,  10,  as  much  as  seven  years,  though 
Joscphus  Ant.  v.  i,  19,  speaks  of  five.  From  the  words,  'The 
Lord  hath  kept  me  ahve  these  forty -five  years,'  Theodoret 
justly  infers  that  the  conquest  of  Canaan  by  Joshua  was  com- 
pleted in  seven  years,  since  God  spake  these  words  towards  the 
end  of  the  second  year  after  the  exodus  from  Egypt,  and,  there- 
fore, thirty-eight  years  before  the  entrance  into  Canaan."— A'^^/7 
and  Dclitzsch  on  Joshua,  pp.  123,  149. 

t  Matt.  xii.  43-45. 


THE   GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH. 


253 


faculties  and  powers  from  the  service  of  sin,  without 
having  them  at  once  occupied  by  the  Spirit,  is  to  ex- 
pose ourselves  to  still  worse  danger.  Such  energy  of 
evil  in  filling  all  vacant  spaces,  might  perhaps  go  far 
to  explain  the  sudden  lapse  of  God's  servants  into 
some  great  sin,  which  now  and  then  startles  the 
Church.  St.  Paul  has  sketched  for  us  in  one  of  his 
own  strong  antitheses  the  safe  procedure — ''  As  ye 
have  yielded  your  members  servants  to  uncleanness, 
and  to  iniquity  unto  iniquity  ;  even  so  now  yield  your 
members  servants  to  righteousness,  unto  holiness.* 
He  could  not  counsel  any  piittifig  off  of  the  old  man, 
apart  from  the  putting  on  of  the  new. 

But  secondly,  although  the  conquest  was  a  work 
of  time,  there  was  to  be  a  limit  to  it.  The  history 
abundantly  confirms  the  promise  of  a  mighty  destruc- 
tion. In  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  chapters  of  Joshua, 
we  have  the  statistics  and  summary  of  the  war — "All 
the  kings  were  thirty  and  one  ;"— "  Joshua  ma^e  war 
a  long  time  with  all  those  kings  ;"— ''  So  Joshua  took 
the  whole  land  ;"  — '' And  the  land  rested  from  war." 
The  "  until  "  of  the  promise  was  no  endless  chain  ; 
the  warfare  was  as  sure  to  be  limited  as  it  was  to  be 
by  little  a?id  little. 

And  so  also  read  the  promises  of  victory  which  the 

Gospel  gives  to  us.     "  The  God  of  peace  shall  bruise 

Satan  under  your  feet  shortly ;''\  ''The  God  of  all 

grace  who  hath  called  us  unto  His  eternal  glory  by 

♦  Rom.  vi.  19.  t  Rom.  xvi.  30. 


254  THE   FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Christ  Jesus,  after  that  ye  have  suffered  awhile,  make 
you  perfect,  stablish,  strengthen,  settle  you."*  And 
with  this  promise,  the  experience  of  some,  at  least, 
agreed.  The  beloved  disciple  wrote  to  young  men, 
in  terms  which  show  plainly  that  a  whole  life  is  not 
required  for  victory — ''  I  have  written  unto  you,  young 
men,  because  ye  are  strong,  and  the  word  of  God  abid- 
eth  in  you,  and  ye  have  overcome  the  wicked  one^^ 
That  in  the  experience  of  many,  the  land  itever  rests 
from  war,  except  now  and  then  to  enjoy  some  brief 
Truce  of  God,  is  to  be  charged  solely  to  their  unfaith- 
fulness, and  by  no  means  to  His  purpose.  The  sub- 
sequent history  proves,  however,  that  this  rest  was  no 
immunity  from  danger  apart  from  their  fidelity  ;  and 
that  subject  remnants  of  their  enemies  in  their  own 
borders,  or  hostile  fugitives  without,  were  capable  of 
becoming  at  any  moment,  snares,  and  traps,  and 
scourges  in  their  sides,  and  thorns  in  their  eyes.:|: 

The  third  point  to  note  in  this  Promise  of  God, 
that  meantime  His.  people  should  be  constant  victors, 
is  the  most  important  of  all—"  There  shall  no  man 
be  able  to  stand  before  thee,  until  thou   have  de- 

*  X  Pet.  V.  lo. 

t  I  John  ii.  14.  Of  course  this  does  not  apply  to  that  fullest 
sense  of  the  Conquest  which  is  realized  only  in  the  Resurrection  ; 
nor  yi'-t  to  the  Conquest  set  before  the  entire  Church.  In  regard 
to  the  latter  a  most  interesting  parallel  exists  between  the  seven 
nations  of  Canaan  and  the  seven  conquests  of  the  seven  churches 
n  the  llevelation. 

\   Jo:-,h.  xxiii.  13. 


THE   GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  255 

stroyed  them."  In  all  those  years  of  warfare,  it  is  a 
striking  fact  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  defeat  at 
Ai,  where  they  justly  forfeited  the  promise,  we  are 
not  told  of  the  loss  of  a  single  man,  nor  of  any  even 
temporary  defeat.  Even  if  we  can  not  positively  as- 
sume that  these  were  bloodless  victories  on  their  side, 
we  have  here  at  least  one  of  the  significant  silences  of 
Hojy  Scripture.  The  career  of  Israel  in  Canaan  was 
a  career  of  continual  conquest. 

And  herein  it  is  that  the  good  fight  of  Faith  differs 
from  the  contest  that  is  all  too  common ;  for  a  con- 
tinued conflict  being  admitted  even  in  this  case,  it 
might  be  asked,  Where  then  is  the  advantage?  It  is 
this,  the  advantage  of  constant  victory  over  frequent 
defeat ;  for  a  constant  victory  it  will  be  if  we  keep  the 
faith.  Never  yet  did  the  Captain  of  the  host  of  the 
Lord  lose  a  single  battle.  Nay,  more,  the  good 
soldier  of  Christ  Jesus  learns  to  welcome  the  sight  of 
his  enemies,  knowing  that  it  really  means  larger  posses- 
sions ;  learns  to  "count  it  all  joy,  when  he  falls  into 
divers  temptations,"  knowing  that  it  means  completer 
triumph.  Of  that  old  warfare  in  Canaan,  it  stands 
written,  "//  zuas  of  the  Lord  to  harden  their  hearts, 
that  they  should  come  against  Israel  in  battle,  that 
He  might  destroy  them  utterly,  and  that  they  might 
have  no  favor."  *  Even  so,  it  is  of  the  Lord  that  the 
evil  hitherto  lying  latent  in  our  nature  should  be 
discerned  ;    it   is  of  the   Lord   that  the   trials   even 

*  Josh.  zi.  20. 


256  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING 

league  themselves  together;  for  it  is  that  the  evil 
may  be  dislodged  and  destroyed,  and  that  the  domin- 
ion of  Grace  may  be  enlarged. 

While  the  good  Fight  of  Faith  may  be  regarded 
as  almost  synonymous  with  the  work  of  Sanctifica- 
tion,  it  may  be  well  to  trace  the  application  of  these 
lessons  more  definitely  under  that  head.  The  word 
Sanctification  {'kyiaGiioc),  which  occurs  only  ten  times  in 
the  New  Testament,  is  rendered  in  half  that  number 
by  another  word  in  our  version — Holiness.  So  again,  it 
is  simply  the  same  allied  term  (aytof),  which  is  rendered 
holy  and  saint,  as  is  the  corresponding  verb  {Lyia^iS) 
by  hallow  and  sanctify.  ^  But  none  of  them  appear, 
from  their  context,  to  be  held  to  a  single  fixed  mean- 
ing. Christians  are  addressed  as  saints,  and  epistles 
are  written  to  the  sanctified,  when  they  were  evi- 
dently far  from  being  in  a  state  of  practical  purity. 
In  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  we  find  a  key  to  the 
right  understanding  of  this ;  where  first  we  read  — 
"  We  have  been  sanctified,  through  the  offering  of  the 
body  of  Jesus  Christ,  once  for  all ;  "^  and  very  soon 
after  this,  "  For  by  one  offering,  He  hath  perfected 
forever  them  who  are  being  sanctified!'  f  So  then  He 
hath  sanctified,  while  we  are  being  sanctified.  He  hath 
perfected,  while  we  are  going  on  unto  perfection. 
The  "  once-for-all-ness;'  marked  the  power  of  Christ's 
Cross ;  while  our  practical  partaking  of  it,  is  plainly 
a  process.  But  everywhere,  the  ultimate  standard 
*  Heb.  X.  lo.  f  Heb.  x.  14. 


THE   GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH. 


257 


even  of  this,  is  to  be  "  sanctified  wholly,"  and  to 
"  perfect  hoUness." 

Those  who  claim  that  entire  sanctification  is  to  be 
instantaneously  received,  would  appear  to  confound 
the  two  uses  of  the  word.  In  its  highest  sense,  as 
wrought  out  by  the  Sanctifier,  and  so  imputed  by 
the  Head  of  the  Body  to  all  its  members,  it  must  be 
entire ;  but  such  a  word  can  not  be  used  of  a  process 
which  is  still  going  on. 

Growth  in  Grace  is  put  under  the  condition  of  all 
growth  —  demanding  time.  Nor  do  the  Scriptures 
speak  of  any  state  of  entire  purity,  from  which  we 
grow  on  into  maturity.  It  is  the  purity  itself,  which 
is  to  mature,  as  St.  John  tells  us,  that  every  man  that 
hath  the  blessed  hope  of  seeing  Jesus  as  He  is,  piiri- 
fietk  himself,  even  as  He  is  pure.  He  plainly  speaks 
of  a  continuous  work,  with  which  the  constant  exhor- 
tations of  all  the  Apostles  agree.  They  give  us  no 
single  precept,  enjoining  any  such  sudden  attainment ; 
and  they  leave  no  record  of  any  such  experience.  It 
is  noticeable  that  those  who  claim  such  entire  sancti- 
fication as  a  present  experience,  are  always  obliged  to 
limit  it  in  other  ways,  as  extending  only  to  the  Affec- 
tions, to  the  Will,  or  to  "  the  essence  of  the  soul,"  and 
thus  they  deprive  themselves  of  the  proper  term  for 
expressing  its  practical  completeness.  As  to  another 
limit  which  has  been  often  set — our  consciousness — 
an  Apostle  has  given  us  some  solemn  thoughts  on 
that  head—''  I  am  conscious  to  myself  of  no  delin- 


258  "^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

quency ;  but  I  am  not  hereby  justified ;  but  He  that 
judgeth  me  is  the  Lord."  ^  It  is  true,  that  only  the 
evil  which  comes  within  the  range  of  our  conscious- 
ness, can  be  overcome  ;  but  our  responsibility  extends 
far  beyond  this,  and  includes  the  most  diligent  culti- 
vation of  the  conscience. 

As    great   confusion  of  thought    has  thus   arisen 
from  the  inaccurate  use  of  the   word  Sanctification, 
so  has  still  more  confusion   sprung  from  loose  and 
unscriptural     definitions    of     sin.       The    Scriptures 
give  us   three  —  ranging  from  the  negative   to   the 
positive,  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  estimate  of 
it.    For  as  we  grow  more  spiritual  we  grow  more  sen- 
sitive to  sin.     Our  perception  of  it  will  advance  very 
much  in  the  order  of  these  definitions. 
I.  "  Sin  is  the  transgression  of  the  Law." 
IL  "All  tmrighteousness  is  sin." 
in.  ''  Whatsoever  is  7iot  of  faith  is  sin." 
We  are  first  convicted  of  special  acts  of  sin.     Then 
we  become  troubled  at  the  absence  of  positive  right- 
eousness ;  and  it  is  the  sin  in  our  nature  that  we  rec- 
ognize.    Finally,  we  advance  to  the  full  meaning  of 
sin,  taught  in  the  very  word  itself—/,  e.,  missing  >    e 
fnark.     Wherever  we  see  ourselves   not   yet    trans- 
formed by  this  renewal  of  our  minds,  whatever  it  be 
that  is  still  unlike  our  Lord,  whatever  deed  or  word 
or  thought  reaches  not  high  enough  as  yet,  for  the 
holy  harmony  of  doing  God's  will  on  earth  as  it  is 
*  I  Cor.  iv.  4. 


THE   GOOD   FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  259 

done  in  heaven,  that  to  the  cultivated  conscience, 
coming  to  share  His  thought  in  all  things,  even  that 
is  now  our  sin. 

Another  nice  distinction  is  drawn  in  the  Word  of 
God  between  sin  and  temptation.  It  is  often  claimed, 
under  the  system  already  referred  to,  that  the  very 
"roots  of  evil  are  so  eradicated"  in  that  "instanta- 
neous sanctification,"  that  temptation  comes  to  the 
saint,  as  to  his  Saviour,  "  solely  from  without."  Yet 
it  is  to  saints  that  the  Apostle  James  writes :  "  Every 
man  is  tempted  when  he  is  drawn  away  of  Ids  oivn 
lust,  and  enticed."  *  But  then  how  carefully  he  goes 
on  to  show,  that  this  outcome  of  our  own  nature  is 
not  counted  by  the  Lord  as  sin,  till  it  is  further  de- 
veloped. "  Then  lust,  having  conceived,  bringeth 
forth  sin."t  Only  the  consent  of  our  will  turns 
temptation  into  sin. 

A  like  distinction  is  drawn  between  our  confession 
of  sin,  and  our  condemnation  for  it.  As  to  the  con- 
demnation for  sin,  God  is  graciously  pleased  to  own 
our  renewed  will,  and  to  disown  our  old  nature—- 
allowing  us  to  take  the  same  view.  "  It  is  no  more  I 
that  do  it,  but  sin  that  dwelleth  in  me."^  "  There  is 
,  ...  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ 
Jesus."§  And  yet  His  Holy  Spirit  must  convict  us 
even  of  the  sin  which  dwelleth  in  us,  and  the  lust 
that  enticeth  us  ;  even  their  presence  in  us  calls  for  a 

^^as.  i.  u.  +  J^s-  ^-  ^5- 

X  Rom.  vii.  17.  §  Rom.  viii.  i. 


26o  '  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Deliverer.  There  must  be,  upon  our  side,  a  hearty 
confession  of  them  as  they  come  to  light — a  fresh 
claiming  of  the  cleansing  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  and 
then  a  going  forward  in  His  name  to  their  conquest. 
We  are  told  by  St.  Paul  that  if  we  would  thus  ''  dis- 
cern ourselves,  we  should  not  be  condemned."*  This 
discerning  in  the  light  of  the  Spirit  will  bring  to  view 
not  merely  temptation,  but  also  our  neglected  duties, 
our  careless  ways,  our  unsanctified  habits,  our  neg- 
lected privileges.  These  will  seem  set  before  us. as 
enemies,  many  and  mighty,  to  be  overcome.  And 
along  with  these  we  must  constantly  consider  our  sins 
of  ignorance  as  calling  for  both  confession  and  con- 
quest. "  Though  he  wist  it  not,  yet  is  he  guilty,"f 
is  the  plain  decree  of  justice — to  be  met  only  by  the 
decree  of  Mercy — "  If  we  confess  our  sins,  He  is 
faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse 
us  from  all  unrighteousness.":]:  Our  career  in  the  con- 
quest of  the  Land  of  promise,  may  therefore  be  re- 
garded as  a  constant  discerning  of  ourselves — a  con- 
stant coming  to  the  Light,  that  must  still  convince, 
though  it  be  not  to  condemn,  and  so  a  constant  over- 
, coming  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word 
of  our  testimony. 

And  thus  the  Christian  who  has  not  yet  in  a  prac- 
tical sense  been  sanctified  wholly,  may  in  the  mean- 
time be  "  preserved  blamelessy  Such  a  distinction  is 
clearly  presented  in  the  Scriptures.     "  The  very  God 

*  I  Cor.  xi  31.  t  Lev.  v.  17.  |  i  John  i.  9. 


THE  GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH.  261 

of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly  ;  and  I  pray  God  your 
whole  spirit,  and  soul,  and  body,  be  preserved  blame- 
less  unto    the    coming   of    our    Lord    Jesus   Christ. 
Faithful  is    He  that  calleth   you,  who  also  will  do 
it/'*     So  St.  Paul  prays.    But  the  Apostle  Jude  goes 
further  still,  and  commends  the  sanctified,  and  *'  pre- 
served in  Jesus  Christ,"  ''  unto   Him  that  is  able  to 
keep  them  from  falling,  and  to  present  them  faultless 
before  the  presence  of  His  glory  with  exceeding  joy."t 
So  then  we  may  be  blameless  without  h€\x\^  faultless  : 
we  are  to  be  blameless  now:    we  shall  be  faultless 
hereafter:  —  ''preserved  blameless,"    and   ''presented 
faultless."     Such   is    the  blessed    and   glorious    ideal 
which  is  set  before  the  Christian,  and  which  both  the 
ability  and  faithfulness  of  God  are  pledged  to  make 
real.     If  it  be  asked  what  practical  difference  there  is 
in  such  a  distinction,  we  may  take  as  an  example  a 
little  child  whose  loving  heart  is  bent  upon  pleasing 
her  mother.     Her  first  little  task  of  needlework  is  put 
into  her  hands.    But  the  little  fingers  are  all  unskilled, 
nor  has  she  any  thought  of  the  nicety  required  ;  still, 
with  intense  pleasure  she  sets  stitch  after  stitch,  until 
at  last  she  brings  it  to  her  mother ;  she  has  done  her 
best,  and  does  not  dream  of  failure.    And  the  mother 
taking  it,  sees  two  things : — one  is  a  work  as  faulty  as 
it  well  can  be,  with  stitches  long  and  crooked  ;  and 
the    other   is   that    smiling,   upturned  face   with    its 
sweet  consciousness  of  love.     Not  for  anything  could 


Thess.  V.  23,  24.  +  Jude  24. 


262  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

she  coldly  criticise  that  work.  She  thinks  of  the 
effort  to  please,  and  how  little  she  could  expect  in  a 
first  attempt.  It  is  the  child's  best  for  the  time  be- 
ing. So  she  commends  her,  and  even  praises  the 
poor,  imperfect  work,  and  then  gently  and  most  lov- 
ingly shows  her  how  she  may  do  still  better.  The 
child  is  blameless,  but  her  work  not  faultless.  It  will 
be  nearer  and  nearer  faultless,  as  day  after  day  she 
gathers  skill,  and  even  new  ideas  of  care  and  faithful- 
ness in  her  tasks ;  but  still  in  her  mother's  eyes  she 
is  at  first,  as  well  as  at  last,  her  blameless  child. 
And  surely  every  believing,  loving  child  of  God,  may 
regard  this  blessing  of  blamelessness,  not  as  one  to  be 
finally  reached,  but  as  one  to  enjoy  all  along  the  way. 
Only  in  this  case,  there  will  be  not  only  a  life  more 
and  more  holy,  but  a  heart  growing  purer  and  purer 
in  its  love.  And  precious  beyond  all  price  will  it  be 
day  after  day  of  our  lives,  to  hear  again  and  again,  our 
Father's  acceptance  of  our  work  and  of  ourselves. 
"  Blameless,  my  child — still  blameless."  And  yet 
such  a  child  can  not  aim  at  less  than  His  entire  ap- 
proval. He  will  not  abuse  such  a  comfort,  or  count 
it  the  chief  thing;  but  ever  seeing  more  fully  the 
vast  importance  of  all  his  Father's  interests,  and  His 
earnest  desire  to  make  him  a  workman  that  needeth 
not  to  be  ashamed,  he  will  even  beseech  Him  not  to 
spare  His  correction,  but  to  show  him  faithfully  every 
fault. 

Such  a  distinction  as  this  provides  for  perfect  peace 


THE   GOOD  FIGHT  OF  FAITH. 


263 


with  God,  but  not  for  any  profession  of  perfection. 
Such  a  claim  as  this,  not  covering  the  defects  of 
which  we  are  yet  unconscious,  nor  the  conquest 
which  may  still  be  incomplete,  does  not  suggest,  as  in 
the  case  of  other  claims,  a  painful  sense  of  discrepancy 
between  profession  and  possession.  Such  a  claim,  as 
it  leaves  no  room  for  discouragement,  allows  none  for 
presumption.  It  is  calm  and  confident,  but  very 
humble.  It  keeps  its  eye  on  Christ,  and  the  power 
of  His  resurrection,  and  it  speaks  soberly — "  Not  that 
I  have  already  won,  or  am  already  perfect ;  but  I 
press  onward— if  indeed  I  might  lay  hold  on  that,  for 
which  Christ  also  laid  hold  on  me :  I  count  not  my- 
self to  have  laid  hold  thereon ;  but  this  one  thing  I 
6.0— forgetting  that  which  is  behind,  and  reaching 
forth  to  that  which  is  before,  I  press  ojiward,  towards 
the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  God's  heavenly  calling  in 
Christ  Jesus."*  This  is  its  experience,  and  its  simple 
exhortation  is—*'  Let  us  all,  then,  who  are  ripe  in 
understanding,  be  thus  minded."! 

So  pass  we  onward,  then,  unto  our  conquest ;  little 
by  little  to  drive  out  our  enemies,  but  still  to  always 
win  our  battles,  always  to  overcome  ;  and  even  when 
we  reach  a  rest  from  the  long  war,  still  to  watch  and 
pray  lest  we  enter  into  temptation ;  and  still  ever 
more  fully  to  possess  the  land. 

As  to  the  manner  of  the  Conquest,  the  secret  of 
victory  is  so  simple,  that  a  few  words  may  set  it  forth. 

*  Phil.  iii.  12-14.     +   Phil.  iii.  15. — As  rendered  by  Conyb.are. 


2.64 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


It  is  clearly  shown  in  the  capture  of  the  first  city : 
''^y  faith  the  walls  of  Jericho  fell  down,  after  they 
were  compassed  about  seven  days."*  In  fact,  the 
victory  was  won  before  they  even  began — *'  See,  I 
I  have  given  into  thine  hand  Jericho."  Day  after 
day  their  faith  was  disciplined  and  developed,  and 
patience  also  had  her  perfect  work,  till  at  last  came 
the  command,  "  Shout ;  for  the  Lord  hath  given  you 
the  city."  "  It  was  the  shout  of  Faith,  that  saw  not 
and  yet  believed ;  and  that,  having  believed,  at  once 
saw  the  glory  of  God." 

For  us  also  the  real  battle  has  been  fought,  and  we 
can  claim  an  accomplished  victory.  *'  Be  of  good 
courage,"  said  Jesus,  "/  have  overcome  the  world :^' 
and  now  "  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the 
world,  even  our  faith."  f  The  prince  of  all  these 
powers  of  evil  was  met  by  Him- in  single  combat — 
and  this  was  the  issue  :  "  The  prince  of  this  world  is 
judged  :"  "  Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world  :  now 
shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out.":!:  The 
Serpent's  head  was  bruised.  Satan  is  the  Saviour's 
vanquished  foe,  with  not  a  particle  of  actual  power 
to  assert  against  Him  in  His  kingdom,  mighty  as  he 
is  in  his  own.  And  for  us  also  whose  life  is  in  Christ, 
he  is  a  conquered  foe — with  not  a  particle  of  power 
to  send  one  of  his  darts  through  the  shield  of  faith. 
But  his  chief  strategy  lies  in  concealing  this — in  pre- 
senting an  unbroken  front.     He  would  make  us  be- 

*  Heb.  xi.  30.  t  I  John  v.  4.  J  John  xii.  31. 


THE  GOOD   FIGHT   OF  FAITH.  26$ 

lieve  that  we  have  still  as  hard  a  battle  to  fi^ht,  as 
though  Christ  had  not  fought  for  us.  We  are  charged, 
indeed,  not  to  be  ignorant  of  his  devices — we  are  to 
put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God — but  so  going  forth 
we  shall  never  find  a  wail  so  high  and  strong,  that  it 
shall  not  fall  down  flat  at  the  shout  of  our  Faith.4 
We  may  make  war  a  very  long  time,  and  manifold 
may  be  our  enemies ;  but  the  way  is  the  same  through- 
out. Whatever  God  charges  us  to  do,  whether  it 
seem  to  be  much  or  little,  the  Heavenly  Captain  and 
His  host  win  all  our  victories. 

What  shall  be  said,  then,  of  that  precious  Faith 
which  our  Lord  has  given  us,  and  endowed  with 
such  a  power  ?  Faith  sees  the  Land  —  Faith  pre- 
pares itself — Faith  passes  over  —  Faith  goes  from 
strength  to  strength — Faith  waxes  valiant  in  fight 
— Faith  has  an  eye  ever  on  the  Captain,  to  follow 
Him  whithersoever  He  goeth  —  Faith  ever  listens, 
for  it  has  received  its  charge,  "  Whatsoever  He  saith 
unto  you,  do  it " — Faith  never  needs  to  measure 
walls,  or  count  the  giants — Faith  sees  nothing  but 
the  exceeding  greatness  of  His  power  to  us-ward 
who  believe — Faith  ponders  day  and  night  the  ex- 
ceeding great  and  precious  promises — Faith  is  ever^ 
saying,  '^IVe  are  well  able  to  overcome  !''  and  Faith 
ever  hears  God  saying,  "He  THAT  OVERCOMETH 
SHALL  INHERIT  ALL  THINGS." 


12 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

FAILURE     AND     MISTAKE. 
*^  npHERE   IS  AN  ACCURSED  THING  IN  THE  MIDST 

l    OF  THEE,  O  Israel  :  thou  canst  not  stand 

BEFORE  THINE  ENEMIES,  UNTIL  YE  TAKE  AWAY  THE 
ACCURSED  THING  FROM  AMONG  YOU."— (^^j/^.  vii.  1 3.) 

"  The  men  took  of  their  victuals,  and  asked 
not  counsel  at  the  mouth  of  the  lord."— 

(Josh.  ix.  14.) 

The  Book  of  Joshua  contains  the  record  of  but  one 
lost  battle:  only  once  does  it  number  the  slain  of 
Israel.  This  defeat  followed  close  upon  their  first 
great  victory.  Their  holy  confidence  in  God  sank 
quickly  into  an  unhallowed  confidence  in  themselves : 
Jericho  had  fallen— what  need  to  put  forth  all  their 
strength  against  Ai  ? 

Thus  do  our  greatest  failures  often  happen  in  the 
little  things  of  life.  We  miscalculate  the  strength  of 
the  foe ;  we  fail  to  spy  out  the  reserved  forces.  In- 
deed, we  mistake,  when  we  think  it  an  easy  matter  to 
subdue  any  enemy.     How  often  has  it  happened,  that 

he  who  has  won  his  signal  victory  in  some  great  crisis 
Ca66) 


FAILURE   AND  MISTAKE.  267 

of  the  Church,  who  has  rescued  the  Truth  from  the 
teachers  of  false  doctrine,  or  stormed  the  entrench- 
ments of  Vice,  has  forthwith  failed  in  some  petty  do- 
mestic disturbance,  in  some  simple  social  duty,  or  in 
a  trifling  claim  of  common  charity.  If  there  be  a 
time  in  life  when  we  need  more  than  ever  to  watch 
and  pray,  lest  we  enter  into  temptation,  it  is  the  hour 
of  success. 

The  discouragement,  verging  upon  despair,  which 
followed  the  flight  from  Ai,  shows  how  the  ground  of 
faith  had  been  deserted.  ''  The  hearts  of  the  people 
melted,  and  became  as  water."*  Even  Joshua,  with 
his  clothes  rent,  and  dust  upon  his  head,  lies  flat  upon 
his  face,  and  gives  himself  over  to  the  strange  regret — 
*'  Would  to  God  we  had  been  content,  and  dwelt  on 
the  other  side  Jordan  !  "  f 

Who  has  ever  overcome  without  an  Ai  ? — a  ques- 
tion of  fact  to  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the 
question  of  necessity.  And  with  whom  has  it  not 
been  their  first  temptation,  to  regard  with  impatience 
their  further  ventures  upon  faith? — as  though  God 
really  left  us  at  liberty  to  be  content  with  lower 
things,  when  there  are  higher  set  before  us  ! 

But  still  more  overwhelming  to  Joshua  was  the 
sense  of  Israel's  dishonor,  as  compromising  the  name 
of  God.  "O  Lord,  what  shall  I  say,  when  Israel 
turneth  their  backs  before  their  enemies!  .  .  .  , 
and  what  wilt  Thou  do   unto  Thy  great  name?":^ 

*  Josh.  vii.  5.  t  Josh.  vii.  7.  \  ^osh.  vii.  8,  9. 


268  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

And  what  shall  any  of  us  think,  or  say,  when  we  find 
that  after  all  the  development  and  discipline  of  faith, 
the  failure  comes  ?  Shall  we  charge  God  with  it,  as 
not  having  provided  against  it  ?  Shall  we  still  lie  flat 
upon  our  faces,  as  the  sorrow  glooms  into  sullenness? 

Nothing  more  thoroughly  tests  our  loyalty  to  God, 
and  our  regard  to  His  honor  instead  of  our  own,  than 
our  readiness  to  receive  the  chastening  by  which  He 
must  judge  us,  when  we  do  not  "  discern  ourselves^'^ 
As  surely  as  the  cause  of  failure  is  always  found  with 
us,  so  surely  is  there  a  remedy  with  God.  "  Israel 
hath  sinned — therefore^  the  children  of  Israel  could 
not  stand  before  their  enemies  :  neither  will  I  be  with 
you  any  more,  except  ye  destroy  the  accursed  thing 
from  among  you."  f  Thus  did  the  Lord  make  a  clear 
case  of  this  mysterious  dispensation.  By  His  decree 
the  whole  spoil  of  war  was  His:  all  treasure  was 
"  devoted''  to  Him  ;  perverted  to  their  own  use,  it  was 
\\\^  ^^ accursed'' \.\\\w^.X  It  was  the  accursed  use  of 
good  things  that  was  their  sin. 

Thus  does  the  Lord  hold  His  children  true  unto 
Himself;  He  compels  them  to  let  Him  search  out 
all  hidden,  hindering  things,  as  their  only  way  to 
victory.  Their  short  suffering  is  as  nothing  to  this 
necessity.  Their  own  sense  of  shame,  and  even  the 
taunts  of  their  enemies,  are  little  things  in  His  eyes, 

*  I  Cor.  xi.  31,  32.  t  Josh.  vii.  11,  12. 

\  The  same  word  is  rendered  in  our  version  by  both  devoted 
and  accursed. 


FAILURE  AND  MISTAKE.  269 

compared  with  the  deeper  evil.  He  must  teach 
them  that  they  can  not  serve  Him  in  one  sphere,  and 
take  their  own  way  in  another.  Any  secret  using  of 
His  treasures,  apart  from  His  will  and  blessing,  they 
must  understand  to  be  sin.  Achan  had  marched 
around  Jericho,  and  had  shouted  in  that  great  shout 
of  faith  :  in  such  great  matters  he  could  be  true  to 
God  ;— but  the  mantle,  and  the  gold  and  silver,  why 
should  he  not  have  these  to  enjoy? 

Christianity  in  this  nineteenth  century  since  Christ 
came,  has  not  outgrown  the  sajne  gross  form  of  temp- 
tation that  was  the  snare  of  Israel  fifteen  centuries 
before—''  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of  life." 
There  is  surely  no  more  crying  sin  to  be  found  among 
the  daughters  of  the  Lord,  than  their  love  of  display 
in  these  ''  goodly  Babylonish  garments."  Beyond  all 
that  is  allowed  for  comfort,  and  comeliness,  how  much 
is  coveted  for  mere  display.  The  evil  is  in  the  heart, 
and  not  in  the  garment.  That  mantle  of  old  be- 
longed by  right  to  the  Lord  ;  it  was  treasure  even  in 
His  sight,  and  He  could  have  called  upon  some  one 
to  wear  it,  even  to  His  glory.  But  Achan  could  not 
—  the  covetous,  the  proud,  the  selfish,  never  can; 
they  are  not  pure  enough  in  heart,  to  take  as  pure, 
that  pattern  their  Creator  set  them,  when  He  clothed 
the  lilies  of  the  field  in  all  their  glory.  True,  there 
are  other  bearings  of  this  subject  — growing  out  of 
the  present  disorder  of  the  world— touching  the  toil 
and   strain   enforced    upon  the  heads  of  families  — 


2/0 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


touching  the  needs  of  the  poor  and  of  Christ's  cause 
— touching  the  example  set  for  the  weak  and  thought- 
less— touching  also  great  moral  questions  upon  which 
social  happiness  and  purity  depend  —  but  these  are 
as  the  husk  to  this  fatal  seed  of  evil.  The  vital  germ 
is  ''  the  lust  of  the  eye  " — lust  seeking  to  gratify  self, 
where  love  should  be  glorifying  God  ! 

Again,  there  is  no  more  crying  sin  among  the  sons 
of  God,  than  that  ''  love  of  money  "  which  is  "  the 
root  of  all  evil."  Wealth  held  in  trust  for  the  Lord» 
kept  as  a  devoted  thing,  is  not  only  a  blessing,  but  a 
very  necessity  in  the  perfect  plan  of  His  providence. 
But  gold  apart  from  God,  hankered  after  through  the 
pride  of  life,  is  still  the  accursed  thing  in  thy  midst, 
O  Israel !  Once,  it  was  only  a  single  garment,  and  a 
few  pieces  of  gold  and  silver,  in  the  tent  of  one  man. 
Is  it  the  less  a  sin  now,  that  men  do  it  upon  a  grand 
scale,  and  that  there  is  little  hiding  of  the  matter  ? 
What  marvel  that  God  goeth  not  forth  with  our  ar- 
mies ! 

And  when  we  remember  that  these  two  forms  of 
sin—"  the  lust  of  the  eye,  and  the  pride  of  life  " — 
extend  to  "  all  that  is  in  the  world,"  and  so  class  with 
them  all  that  they  really  represent — when  we  think 
of  God's  claim  over  all  things,  and  of  all  our  persist- 
ent and  varied  robbery  of  His  dues,  with  what  fear- 
ful force  does  the  charge  come  home  to  us  in  our  own 
day— "There  is  an  accursed  thing  in  the  midst  of 
thee,  O  Israel :   thou  canst   not  stand  before  thine 


FAILURE   AND   MISTAKE.  27 1 

enemies,  until  ye  take  away  the  accursed  thing  from 
among  you."  Alas,  that  so  dear  is  this  accursed 
thing  to  many,  that  upon  the  whole,  they  choose  de- 
feat, rather  than  to  confess  the  sin,  and  let  this  of- 
fending Achan  of  lust  be  stoned  with  stones,  and 
burned  with  fire. 

Another  most  important  lesson  lies  in  the  fact,  that 
the  sin  of  one  involved  all  Such  a  law  of  organic 
spiritual  life  is  very  clearly  stated  by  St.  Paul— 
"  Whether  one  member  suffer,  all  the  members  suffer 
with  it ;  or  one  member  be  honored,  all  the  members 
rejoice  with  it."*  There  can  plainly,  then,  be  no  indi- 
vidual perfection,  till  the  whole  Body  is  perfected. 
Hence  Love,  with  all  its  tender  care  one  for  another, 
is  the  vital  thing  it  is.  The  sin  and  shortcoming  of 
one  single  member,  are  the  suffering  and  the  loss  of 
all  the  other  members.  God  honors  to  the  utmost 
the  faith  and  devotion  of  each  ;  but  there  are  heights 
to  which  they  can  not  attain,  save  with  the  help  of  all. 
Even  if  the  cloven  tongue  of  some  Pentecostal  gift 
were  to  alight  upon  the  chosen  of  the  Spirit,  yet  if 
it  met  no  kindred  spark— if  it  fell  only  upon  the 
damp  and  chill  of  unbelief-how  surely  would  it 
expire,  with  only  a  brief  and  ineffectual  gleam. 

The  sin  of  Achan— unknown  as  it  was  to  all  but 
himself,  and  his  God,  yet  troubling  a  nation— teaches 
us  to  trace  the  evil  to  something  more  secret  than 
mere  example.     What  a  study  for  the  thoughtful  is 

*  I  Cor.  xii.  26. 


272  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

this  strange  sympathy  of  soul !  What  a  solution  of 
many  a  problem  !  And  how  does  such  a  law  render 
sin  exceeding  sinful.  Each  offence  is  not  only  against 
God,  and  to  the  injury  of  our  own  life,  but  tells  upon 
the  life  and  vigor  of  the  whole  Church  of  Christ.  Like 
the  healthful  body,  it  may  be  able  to  heal  the  wound, 
or  throw  off  the  disease  of  one  part  by  the  rallying  of 
the  rest ;  but  at  best  there  is  an  expenditure  of  force 
that  is  needed  elsewhere.  Every  sin  is  in  its  essence 
the  failure  to  love  God,  and  to  love  our  brother  also. 
All  covetousness  is  idolatry,  and  all  selfishness  a  stab 
at  the  life  of  some  one.  He  that  hateth  his  brother  is 
a  murderer — not  in  intent,  but  act — as  truly  strikes  by 
his  hatred  the  life  of  his  spirit,  as  a  murderer  slays 
the  body.  What  a  responsibility  is  ours,  therefore, 
when  we  see  our  brother  sin — not  only  to  rebuke  in 
faithful  love,  but  to  ask  that  God  will  give  him  life 
again  ;  seeing  that  it  is  not  only  his  life,  but  our  life 
also,  and  the  life  of  Christ's  own  Body. 

Among  all  the  rich  promises  that  spring  from  God's 
forgiving  and  restoring  love,  there  are  few  more  won- 
derful than  this — that  He  has  given  us  "  the  Valley 
of  Achor  for  a  door  of  hope."  *  From  that  valley, 
which  they  so  named  from  their  sore  "  trouble," 
Joshua  and  the  people  rose  up ;  and  soon  before  his 
spear,  outstretched  towards  that  same  Ai  from  which 
they  lately  fled,  twelve  thousand  of  their  enemies 
melted  away,  even  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  place  ; 

*  Hos.  ii.  15. 


FAILURE  AND  MISTAKE. 


273 


and  fear  fell  on  all  who  heard  it.  The  one  failure 
was  never  repeated  ;  and  the  six  and  thirty  men  who 
fell  at  Ai,  give  us  the  only  death  list  of  a  seven  years' 
war. 

When  once  we  have  added  to  our  experience  of 
God's  favor  as  shown  to  the  willing  and  obedient, 
that  of  His  faithfulness  even  in  our  failure,  we  come 
up  from  this  dark  passage  of  our  trouble  and  loss,  to 
a  door  that  opens  wide  upon  His  great  Love.  W'c 
gather  even  cheer  from  the  certainty,  that  the  Lord 
will  cleanse  us  from  secret  faults.  For  sin,  to  a  lov- 
ing child  of  God,  is  a  more  fearful  thing  than  any 
suffering  for  sin.  Welcome,  then,  shall  be  the  disci- 
pline, that  put  us  on  the  track  of  its  discovery ;  for 
so  soon  as  we  see  it,  we  are  met  by  this  faithful  word 
— *'If  we  confess  our  sins,  He  is  faithful  and  just  to 
forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unright- 
eousness." How  often  does  it  happen  in  our  expe- 
rience, that  some  one  form  of  trial  is  strangely  reiter- 
ated, until  we  are  tempted  to  regard  it  as  our  fate. 
Is  it  not  rather  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  calling  to  us 
again  and  again,  until  w^e  heed  Him,  and  learn  the 
lesson  He  has  set  us?  When  we  have  learned  it,  He 
will  no  more  repeat  the  trial.  We  learn,  moreover, 
from  such  an  experience  as  this,  to  anticipate  His 
correction,  and  not  compel  Him  to  chasten  us  Him- 
self. Very  weighty  is  that  lesson  of  St.  Paul,  and 
given  to  us  in  words  most  fitly  chosen*  (sadly  as  they 

*  1  Cor.  xi.  31,  32. 
12* 


274  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSfNG. 

are  marred  in  our  version) — that  if  we  would  duly 
discern  ourselves  —  before  any  doubtful  deed  —  we 
should  have  no  occasion  to  h^  judged  after  it.  But 
that  failing  in  this,  even  our  judgment  is  only  the 
chastening  of  the  Lord,  that  we  should  not  come  to 
be  condemned  with  the  world.  So,  then,  the  Lord 
does  not  purpose  to  lead  us  into  any  valley  of  Achor, 
but  if  we  fall  into  the  snare,  He  provides  a  way  to 
recover  ourselves  from  it — giving  us  even  there  a 
door  of  hope.  The  two  chapters  occupied  by  this 
narrative,  are  followed  by  a  third,  which  gives  us, 
not  indeed  another  failure,  but  a  great  mistake. 

The  people  lean  now  to  their  own  understanding, 
as  just  before  they  relied  upon  their  own  strength. 
The  foe  fearing  to  come  out  longer  in  open  battle, 
approaches  them  with  deceit.  Long  before,  the 
Gibeonites  had  learned  to  their  cost,  from  Simeon  and 
Levi,  a  fearful  lesson  of  dishonorable  strategy.*  Doubt- 
less it  was  this  that  suggested  a  sort  of  retaliation, 
which  God  permitted  as  a  sure  retribution.  "  They 
did  work  wilily."  Feigning  to  come  from  a  far  coun- 
try, they  entrapped  Israel  into  a  friendly  league.  So 
clear  appeared  the  case,  that  "  the  men  took  of  their 
victuals,  and  asked  not  counsel  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord."  How  much  erring  in  judgment  is  foreshad- 
owed in  this  simple  incident.  The  instances  are  com- 
paratively few  where  the  Christian  fails  and  flees 
before  a  recognized   enemy;    in   by  far  the  greatei 

*  Gen.  xxxiv. 


FAILURE  AND  MISTAKE. 


275 


number  he  goes  astray  through  the  dcceitfulness  of 
sin.*  There  was  but  one  Achan,  who  hearing  God's 
command  about  the  dedicated  things,  went  and  hid 
them  in  his  tent;  but  Josliua  and  all  Israel  were 
caught  in  the  snare  of  the  Gibeonites.  No  warning 
voice  from  God  came  to  arrest  them,  for  they  had 
neglected  to  seek  His  counsel,  and  they  must  learn 
the  peril  of  it. 

It  is  often  carelessly  said,  that  if  we  do  the  best  we 
know  how  to  do — acting  up  to  the  light  we  have — 
we  are  guiltless. 

Such  a  maxim  is  not  allowed  to  pass  in  earthly 
matters.  The  Captain  who  doing  the  best  he  can  at 
the  time,  runs  his  ship  upon  a  rock  well  known  to 
seamen,  is  held  responsible  for  his  ignorance.  We 
are  not  only  to  act  up  to  the  light  we  have,  but  to 
seek  the  light  and  come  to  the  light.  Sincerity  may 
never  dare  to  claim  the  same  high  reward  that  is 
given  to  Truth,  nor  are  the  immunities  of  the  one 
like  the  immunities  of  the  other.  For  every  portion 
of  the  full  and  rounded  Truth  of  God  that  is  missed 
even  by  mistaken  judgment,  some  loss  is  inevitable  ; 
and  who  shall  venture  to  estimate  the  aggregate  of 
that  loss  to  the  Church  of  Christ  from  the  multitude 
of  her  mistakes,  both  in  doctrine  and   in  practice? 

*  Farrar  speaks  of  Judas  even  as  half  concealing  from  himselt 
the  grossness  of  his  own  motives,  and  adds :  "  People  rarely  sin 
under  the  full  glare  of  self-consciousness;  they  usually  blind 
themselves  with  false  pretexts  and  specious  motives."— /'.rrrarj 
Lz/eof  Christ,  Vol.  II.,  p.  192. 


1^6 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


One  gleam  of  comfort,  however,  we  are  permitted  to 
gather  from  the  old  story  of  the  Gibeonites.  Inex- 
cusable as  was  their  neglect  to  seek  His  counsel,  God 
graciously  brought  out  of  the  evil,  somewhat  of  bless- 
ing. These  deceivers  of  His  people  should  hence- 
forth be  their  hewers  of  wood,  and  drawers  of  water ; 
— some  compensation  should  be  found  for  what  they 
had  lost.  In  the  wonderful  amends  of  Grace — even 
in  missing  the  highest  mark — the  Lord  can  surely 
put  the  mistakes  of  His  children  among  the  all  things 
that  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  Him. 

But  far  more  edifying  than  to  enumerate  such  mis- 
takes, will  it  be  to  consider  the  provision  that  is  made 
against  them. 

Distinct  promises  of  God  have  pledged  to  every 
seeking  soul  His  light,  and  truth,  and  wisdom.  "  If 
thine  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body  shall  be  full  of 
light."  "  When  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  come,  He  will 
guide  you  into  the  whole  truth." — "  If  any  of  you 
lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God  that  giveth  to  all 
men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall  be 
given  him."*  Very  plainly,  then,  must  our  mistakes 
originate  like  that  of  Israel — ''  We  ask  not  counsel 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Lord."  The  contrary  of  this  is, 
however,  most  commonly  claimed — "  We  did  seek  it." 
Ah,  but  did  you  not  first  ''take  of  the  victuals?" 
That  which  is  often  asked  of  God,  is  not  so  much 
His  will  and  way,  as  His  approval  of  our  way.     It  is 

♦  Matt.  vi.  22  ;  John  xvi.  13  ;  Jas.  i.  5. 


FAILURE  AND  AriSTAk^E.  2  77 

remarkable    how  little    perplexity  as   to  their  duty, 
appears  among  the  saints  of  the  Bible.     Especially 
in   the   Epistles,  we  find   scarcely  a  trace  of  uncer- 
tainty as  to  the  way  which  they  should  take.     But  in 
our  own  day,  how  common  is  the  cry  that  men  "  walk 
in  darkness  and  have  no  light."    We  have  no  right  to 
remain   in  that  darkness.     If  we  love  the  light,  we 
shall  find  the  light.     If  the  windows  of  my  dwelling- 
place  be  closed  with  blinds  of  ignorance,  they  must 
first  be  thrown  open.     If  the  curtain  of  prejudice  be 
drawn  closely  down,  it  must  next  be  put  aside.     If 
the  thin  shade  of  conceit  be  left,  there  is  still  more 
to  do — for  though  I   may  now  have  the  sunlight,   I 
have  not  the  suns/mie.     If  this  shade  be  lifted,  and 
yet  the  window  be  obscured  with  frost,  or  dust,  or 
even   so  thin  a  film  as  my  own  breath,  I  can   not 
have  a  clear  vision  of  that  which  lies  beyond  it.     My 
apathy  is  that  frost — my  carelessness  that  dust — my 
selfishness  that  film.      I  must   look  if  possible  with 
nothing  between  me  and  the  truth,  or  if  I  must  look 
through  glass,  let  it  be  so  clear  as  to  be  itself  invisi- 
ble.    But  instead  of  seeking  thus  until  we  find,  do 
we  not  hastily  take  our  clew  from  custom,  and  chang- 
ing conventionalities,  and  from  human  opinion  ?    It  is 
well-known  that  the  Red  man  who  fears  the  approach 
of  the  foe,  does  not  listen  through  the  air,  where  so 
many  sounds  are  stirring,  but  presses  his  ear  close  to 
his  mother-earth,  and  so  hears  afar  off  the  stealthicst 
tread.     So  does  our  ear  in  its  distraction  need  to  list- 


278 


THE   FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


en,  shut  off  from  common  channels,  and  holding  it- 
self fast  by  that  Word  of  truth,  which  is  the  choice 
conductor  of  the  will  of  God. 

It  is  a  prime  condition  of  such  wisdom  that  we 
have  a  certain  affinity  with  the  truth,  as  a  ground  of 
receptivity — ''  He  that  is  of  the  truth^''  said  the  Lord 
Jesus,  "  heareth  my  voice/'  When  the  secret  attrac- 
tions of  the  soul  are  false  to  God,  there  can  be  no  real 
counsel  asked  of  Him. 

Again,  the  first  step  towards  knowledge  is  the  con- 
fession of  our  ignorance.  The  human  understanding 
wholly  fails  in  heavenly  things. — It  is  Love  that  is 
the  great  illuminator. — "  If  any  man  think  that  he 
imderstandeth  anything,  he  kiiowetk  nothing  yet  as  he 
ought  to  know.  But  if  any  man  love  God,  the  same 
is  known  of  Hiin.''^  In  His  own  knowing  of  us,  all 
our  knowledge  originates  ;  first  of  Himself,  then  of 
all  things.  Closely  akin  to  the  conceit  of  our  own 
understanding,  a  veritable  Gibeonife  in  its  clouted 
shoes,  and  equal  to  deceiving  even  a  Joshua,  is  that 
habit  of  .ff //"-examination  which  is  so  often  practiced. 
As  though  the  heart  were  not  deceitful  above  all 
things,  we  assume  the  ability  to  discover  its  depths, 
and  to  analyze  its  mixture  of  motives.  That  is  a 
work  for  God  alone.  There  lies  a  world-wide  space 
between  the  old  Delphian  oracle — ''  Know  thyself," — ■ 
and  that  wisdom  that  coming  from  above  teaches  us 
to  cry,  "  Search  me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart  /" 

♦  I  Cor.  viii.  2,  3. 


FAILURE  AND   MISTAKE.  27Q 

Another  all-important  condition  of  our  protection 
from  error,  is  that  we  should  seek  not  only  counsel, 
but  the  close  companionship  of  tlic  Counsellor.  \Vc 
are  directed  not  to  a  mere  written  word  of  wisdom, 
but  to  a  Wisdom  who  walks  amon;:^  men  ;  not  to  the 
bare  letter  of  any  law,  but  to  a  Living  Law  that  has 
come  down  to  lead  us  safely.  Lis' en  to  that  Voice 
that  in  due  time  becomes  the  Incarnate  Word — 
"  Counsel  is  mine  and  sound  wisdom.  /  am  under- 
standing.   /  have  strength Blessed  is  the  man 

that  heareth  me,  watching  daily  at  my  gates,  ivaiting 
at  the  posts  of  my  doors!'"^  Listen  as  it  calls  again  to 
still  closer  intimacy, — "  When  thou  walkest,  let  it 
guide  thee ;  when  thou  liest  down,  let  it  guard  thee ; 
and  at  thy  waking,  let  it  talk  with  thce/'f 

Our  need  is  so  constant  and  so  varied,  that  only 
the  Spirit  of  God  can  supply  us  with  wisdom.  In  so 
guiding  us  He  will  make  His  own  Word  our  lamp 
wherever  that  is  possible.  Where  it  is  not.  He  will 
point  out  some  other  way.  His  own  Word  itself  again 
and  again  throws  us  back  upon  this  immediate  guid- 
ance of  the  Spirit.  For  how  many  are  the  emergencies 
of  life,  concerning  which  that  Word  is  silent,  and  can 
no  more  answer  us  than  it  could  have  told  the  Camp  ot 
Israel  from  what  country  came  the  Gibeonites.  There- 
fore, while  God  put  His  holy  Law  in  the  Ark  of  the 
Covenant,  He  put  His  Urim  also  in  the  Breast-Plate 
of  the  High  Priest;  and  so  flashed  from  time  to  time 
*  Prov.  viii.  14,  34.  t  Prov.  vi.  22. 


28o  TWi?  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

the  guiding  ray  upon  the  perplexities  of  His  people. 
Moreover,  how  many  messages,  for  the  man,  and  for 
the  moment,  did  His  Prophets  carry  from  His  mouth. 
All  this  He  gave  before  the  great  day  of  Pentecost. 
How  "the  Holy  Ghost  spake"  thenceforth,  how  He 
taught  and  counselled,  is  proved  by  almost  every 
page  of  that  "  second  treatise"  in  which  St.  Luke,  who 
had  written  in  a  former  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
gave  next,  the  Gospel  of  His  Holy  Ghost. 

But  it  is  the  thought  of  some  that  while  such  a 
provision  indeed  exists,  yet  such  is  our  weakness,  that 
practically  it  avails  but  little — that  while  so  many 
have  sought  such  guidance,  and  forthwith  fallen  into 
dangerous  delusions,  it  is  much  safer  to  forego  it,  and 
to  keep  closely  by  the  Word  of  God.  No  such  substi- 
tution is  possible  ;  and  if  we  thus  slight  the  Spirit,  we 
do  dishonor  to  some  of  the  strongest  sayings  of  Holy 
Scripture,  and  forfeit  utterly  a  priceless  privilege. 

For  the  Lord  has  not  mocked  us  by  first  promising 
that  He  would  speak  to  us  with  His  own  Voice, 
and  then  failing  to  provide  the  hearing  ear.  Indeed, 
the  veiy  pith  of  the  promise,  is  this  accuracy  in 
knowing  His  Voice.  He  does  not  say,  as  some  would 
seem  to  suppose,  "  I  will  go  before  My  sheep — I  will 
call  very  clearly  to  them  to  follow  Me,  but  the  foolish 
sheep  will  not  be  able  to  understand  Me  " — but  this 
is  what  He  says  of  the  True  Shepherd,  "  The  sheep 
follow  Him/(?r  they  know  His  voice.     And  a  stranger 


FAILURE  AND   MISTAKE.  ^gj 

will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from  him  :  for  they 
know  not  the  voice  of  strangers."* 

And  yet  we  can  not  ignore  the  fact,  that  many  and 
even  monstrous  have  been  the  mistakes  of  those  who 
claimed  to  know  His  voice.     But  one  solution  of  this 
seems  at  all  satisfactory.     They  have  never  been  train- 
ed by  holy  familiarity  to  really  know  it.     We  learn  to 
distinguish  human  voices  with  perfect  accuracy ;  and 
not  only  so,  but  their  slightest  changes  can  convey 
the  most  delicate  shades  of  thought  and  feeling  to 
the  well-trained  ear.    Our  spiritual  senses  are  not  less 
sure,  but  they  also  require  their  training.      The  little 
babe  as  it  first  begins  this  great  art  of  listening,  can 
not  tell  a  human  voice  from   any  other  sound  ;    but 
soon  in  the  darkest  midnight  one  voice  is  unmistak- 
able.    So  the  wife,  sitting  it  may  be  in  the   twilight, 
hears  a  step  along  the  hall,  and  then  a  voice,  that  can 
be  no  other  than  his  for  whom  she  has  been  waiting. 
But  if  as  she  rises,  saying  confidently — "  It  is  my  hus- 
band " — you  ask  her  how  she  knows  that  voice,  what 
can  she  do  but  smile  and  say  simply,  but  more  surely, 
"  I  know  it  !''     She  can  not  give  you  the  secret  ;  nor 
could  you   ever  learn   it,  save   as  she  has  learned  it. 
Apart  from  being  much  with  Christ,  above  all   apart 
from  loving  Him,  we  can  not   know  His  voice.     But 
so  loving,  so  following  closely,  we  have  His  own  sure 
promise  that  the  stranger  can  never  deceive  us ;  though 

*  John  X.  4,  5. 


282  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

the  hands  that  touch  us  seem  the  very  hands  of  Esau, 
yet  we  shall  know  that  the  voice  is  indeed  the  voice 
of  Jacob. 

Any  difficulties  which  may  still  be  attached  to  this 
privilege,  are  not  beyond  the  difficulties  of  all  spiritual 
attainments,  and  however  impossible  with  men,  per- 
fectly possible  with  God.  So  that  we  are  without 
excuse  as  the  flock  of  God,  if  we  do  not  clearly  know 
our  Shepherd's  Voice  ;  and  therefore  know  the  wiles  of 
Satan.  His  devices  are  so  many,  and  even  when  old, 
putting  on  such  new  disguises,  that  had  we  to  learn 
them  one  by  one,  we  should-  never  feel  secure.  But 
to  know  One  Voice  with  certainty,  solves  in  the  sim- 
plest possible  manner  the  entire  difficulty:  if  it  be 
the  voice  of  any  stranger,  we  know  that  we  must  not 
listen.  We  must  not  even  listen  to  him  who  comes 
to  accuse  us  of  sin,  if  still  it  be  the  voice  of  a  stranger, 
and  not  the  voice  of  our  Beloved.  Satan  is  the  great 
Accuser :  he  accuses  us  before  God,  and  he  accuses  us 
to  our  own  hearts — sometimes  justly,  as  well  as  in- 
justly;  but  in  no  case  have  we  any  right  to  parley 
with  him  at  all.  We  are  not  even  to  learn  about  our 
sins  from  Satan  ;  for  he  comes  that  he  may  drag  us  down 
if  possible,  to  discouragement  and  despair.  The  re- 
proofs of  Him  who  loves  us  are  entirely  faithful ; 
only  we  may  be  very  sure  that  when  He  has  some- 
what against  us,  He  will  not  send  Satan  as  His  mes- 
senger to  say  so,  but  will  correct  us  Himself,  with  His 


FAILURE  AND  MISTAKE. 


283 


own  loving  correction — cleansing  and  healing,  even 
while  He  chastens  us. 

But  the  Spirit  has  other  ways  of  guidance  than  by 
His  voice.  ''  I  will  guide  thee  with  Mine  eye."*  As 
the  eye  speaks  more  swiftly  than  the  lips,  so  can  it 
speak  more  sweetly,  or  more  severely.  The  quick 
glance  gathers  His  sanction — "  approved  of  Christ,"  or 
if  need  be  that  He  turn  and  look  upon  us,  His  silent 
reproof  sends  us  out,  like  Peter,  to  weep  bitterly. 

Again  we  are  told  of  another  spiritual  sense : — 
Isaiah  prophesied  of  Christ  that  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  should  rest  upon  Him,  and  make  Him  "  of 
quick  understanding."  f  The  root  from  which  this 
word  is  taken,  and  still  more  plainly,  the  context, 
show  us  what  is  signified.  The  ''sight  of  His  eyes," 
and  the  "hearing  of  His  ears,"  were  not  enough  — 
not  even  by  these  would  He  judge ;  but  by  another 
sense  more  subtle,  swift,  and  sure — even  as  when  He 
"  smelled  a  sweet  savor  "  from  Noah's  altar  and  the 
cleansed  earth.  How  much  of  our  outward  protec- 
tion from  danger  is  left  to  this  sense  of  smell,  as  the 
keenest  and  readiest  of  all.  Everything  may  be  fair 
and  beautiful  to  the  eye,  but  as  the  sickening  effluvia 
is  wafted  to  us,  we  flee  as  from  a  pestilence.  The 
Hol}^  Spirit  resting  upon  us,  we  shall  become  like 
Christ,  of  that  "quick  understanding"  which  will 
prove  one  of  our  chief  securities  from  evil.  The  odor 
of  false  doctrine  can  not  escape  us,  and  the  very 
*  Ps.  xxxii.  8.  tis.  xi.  3. 


284 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


scent  of  sin  will  keep  us  from  its  touch ;  while  we 
turn  in  all  haste  to  Him,  all  whose  garments  smell  of 
myrrh,  and  aloes,  and  cassia. 

The  combined  result  of  all  this  training  is  given  us 
by  St.  Paul  in  one  of  those  delicate  touches,  which  he 
knew  so  well  where  to  put  upon  his  great  landscapes  of 
Truth  :  "  And  this  I  pray,  that  your  love  may  abound 
yet  more  and  more  in  knowledge,  and  in  all  judg- 
ment" (AladrjaLg).'^  The  word  which  he  uses  here 
stands  quite  alone  in  the  Bible,  and  denotes  a  sphere 
of  judgment  beyond  its  common  range.  St.  Paul 
teaches  us  that  there  are  Spiritual  Esthetics :  that 
besides  knowledge,  there  is  a  nice  perception,  a  ready 
tact,  a  quick  sense  of  the  proprieties  and  fitnesses  of 
things,  so  important  for  us  as  to  be  the  proper  object 
of  most  earnest  prayer.  He  who  could  not  call  His 
outward  creation  good,  till  He  had  woven  in  the 
wondrous  woof  with  His  swift  shuttles  of  Light  and 
Sound,  can  surely  give  to  none  of  us  this  testimony, 
**  that  we  please  Him,"  till  He  has  trained  us  to  alike 
harmony— until  in  our  souls  can  be  seen  the  mellow 
toning  of  all  the  tints  of  truth,  and  from  our  lives  be 
heard  the  rhythm  of  all  holy  works  and  ways. 

The  perfect  provision  of  our  Lord,  allows  plainly, 
no  liberty  for  the  life  that  is  risen  in  Him,  to  be  a 
failure,  or  to  be  marred  even  with  mistakes — allows 
even  no  liberty  for  terror,  or  anxious  fear  of  these. 
Child  of  God,  dwelling   in    the  secret   place  of  the 

♦  Phil.  i.  9. 


FAILURE   AND  MISTAKE.  285 

Most  High,  thou  canst  not  be  afraid  !  A  thousand 
may  fall  at  thy  side,  or  even  ten  thousand  at  thy 
right  hand,  but—*'  Surely  He  shall  deliver  thee  from 
the  snare  of  the  fowler,  and  from  the  noisome  pesti- 
lence." And  not  only  so,  but  the  same  loving  care 
extending  to  the  slightest  of  thy  steps,  "  He  shall 
give  His  angels  charge  over  thee  to  keep  thee  in  all 
thy  ways.  They  shall  bear  thee  up  in  their  hands 
lest  thou  trip  thy  foot  against  a  stone."  For  all 
thy  need  of  His  strength,  "  His  truth  shall  be  thy 
shield  and  buckler ; "  and  for  all  thy  need  of  His 
tenderness,  "  He  shall  cover  thee  with  His  feathers, 
and  under  His  wings  shalt  thou  trust  " 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

CHOICE    POSSESSIONS. 

<*  'INHERE  REMAINETH  YET  VERY  MUCH   LAND  TO 
-I     BE   POSSESSED." — {Josh.  xiii.  I.) 
"  How   LONG  ARE  YE    SLACK    TO    GO   TO    POSSESS 
THE    LAND   WHICH    THE    LORD    GOD    OF  YOUR  FA- 
THERS  HATH   GIVEN   YOU?" — {JosJt.  xviii.  3.) 

With  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  the  Book  of  Joshua 
we  enter  another  section,  which  treats  of  the  division 
of  the  land  of  Canaan,  as  the  former  treated  of  its 
conquest.  The  distribution  of  the  country,  varying 
widely  as  it  did  in  natural  advantages,  and,  therefore, 
sure  to  tell  strongly  upon  the  future  character  of  the' 
Tribes,  was  too  important  to  be  left  to  human  decision. 
The  Lord  Himself  had  a  choice  for  each.  His  plan 
for  His  people  was  as  perfect  in  all  its  details,  as  it 
was  grand  and  comprehensive.  The  charge  respect- 
ing this  division  ran  thus  :  "  Ye  shall  divide  the  land 
by  lot  for  an  inheritance  among  your  families :  and 
to  the  more  ye  shall  give  the  more  inheritance,  and 
to  the  fewer  ye  shall  give  the  less  inheritance :  every 
man's  inheritance  shall  be  in  t'he  place  where  his  lot 

falleth ;  according  to  the  tribes  of  your  fathers  ye 
(286) 


CHOICE  POSSE SS/OXS.  287 

shall  inherit."*  Yet  the  very  terms  of  the  lot  left 
much  to  the  judgment  of  those  entrusted  with  the 
task,  who  had  been  previously  designated  by  the 
Lord  ; — Eleazar  the  priest,  Joshua,  and  one  prince  of 
every  tribe.f  The  history  shows  us  how  many  modi- 
^cations  of  the  original  allotment  were  made,  and 
what  regard  was  had  to  special  requests  ;  so  that  finally 
the  actual  settlement  was  the  result  not  only  of  the 
Lord's  appointment,  but  also  of  the  decision  of  the 
judges,  and  to  some  extent  of  their  own  desires — the 
same  mingling,  in  fact,  of  divine  and  human  agencies 
which  we  find  everywhere  in  the  developments  of 
life. 

This  distribution  of  the  Land  while  less  marked  by 
stirring  incidents  than  the  Conquest,  was  not  inferior 
in  importance,  and  has  a  large  space  allotted  to  it. 
Indeed,  looking  at  the  minuteness  of  this  record,  and 
that  of  the  prophecies  given  here  and  there  in  Patri- 
archal blessings  and  high  visions  of  God,  we  may  well 
question  if  its  mere  geographical  import  has  yet  been 
appreciated.  The  future  of  this  earth  will  make  all 
these  enigmas  clear.  As  a  man  plants  his  Estate, 
and  plants  for  far-off  years,  and  gives  to  each  tree 
the  soil  and  situation  it  requires — so  has  the  Lord 
planted  this  earth,  and  certainly  with  reference  to  a 
time  not  yet  fulfilled  ;  for  when  has  Israel  taken  its 
priestly  position  among  the  families  of  the  earth  ? 
The  dying  song  of  Moses  waits  yet,  in  part,  for  its 
*  Num.  xxxiii.  54.  t  Num.  xxxiii.  17-29, 


288  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

accomplishment:  ''When  the  Most  High  divided 
to  the  nations  their  inheritance,  when  He  separ- 
ated the  sons  of  Adam,  He  set  the  bounds  of  the 
people  according  to  the  number  of  the  children  of 
Israel."* 

But  passing  from  this  to  the  spiritual  lessons  to 
be  here  gathered,  we  find  in  the  first  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  a  passage  not  unlike  this  allotment  of 
the  land  :  "  There  are  varieties  of  Spiritual  Gifts,  but 
the  same  Spirit  gives  them  all ;  and  they  are  given 
for  various  ministrations,  but  all  to  serve  the  same 
Lord  Jesus;  and  the  inward  working  whereby  they 
are  wrought  is  various,  but  they  are  all  wrought  in 
every  one  of  those  who  receive  them,  by  the  working 
of  the  same  God.  But  the  gift  whereby  the  Spirit 
becomes  manifest,  is  given  to  each  for  the  profit  of 
all.  To  one  is  given  by  the  Spirit  the  utterance  of 
Wisdom,  to  another  the  utterance  of  Knowledge, 
according  to  the  working  of  the  same  Spirit ;  to  an- 
other, the  power  of  Faith  through  the  same  Spirit  ; 
to  another,  the  gifts  of  Healing  through  the  same 
Spirit ;  to  another,  the  powers  which  work  Miracles  ; 
to  another,  the  gift  of  Prophecy  ;  to  another,  the  dis- 
cernment of  Spirits ;  to  another,  varieties  of  Tongues ; 
to  another,  the  interpretation  of  Tongues.  But  all 
these  gifts  are  wrought  by  the  working  of  that  one 
and  the  same  Spirit,  who  distributes  them  to  each 

♦  Deut.  xxxii.  8.  See  on  this  subject  a  most  suggestive  vol- 
ume, "Israel's  Future,"  by  Rev.  Capel  Mol)Tieux. 


CHOICE  POSSESSIOA'S.  280 

according  to  His  will."*  Thus  a  law  like  that  which 
links  in  amity  the  nations  of  the  earth,  by  the  special 
wealth  of  each  in  produce  and  in  art,  was  to  link  in 
holy  charity  the  inheritors  of  Christ's  great  kingdom. 

Yet  this  distribution  admits  the  same  practical 
modifications  as  did  that  of  old.  It  appears  more^  , 
than  probable  that  a  basis  fcr  our  spiritual  gifts  is 
provided  in  the  individuality  that  is  mapped  out  for 
each  by  the  laws,  of  transmission,  in  which  we  also 
inherit  "according  to  the  tribes 'of  our  fathers." 
Thus  far  it  is  "the  lot  cast  into  the  lap,"  the  whole 
disposing  of  which  is  of  the  Lord.  But  how  much 
that  narrows  or  enlarges  the  natural  boundary  of 
one's  gifts,  depends  upon  the  care  and  the  decisions 
of  others.  Again,  in  spiritual,  as  in  natural  things, 
our  own  earnest  desires,  and  above  all  our  faithful  im- 
provement of  the  talents  given,  are  allowed  a  large 
influence.  So  that  our  lot  is  no  portion  thrust  upon 
us,  but  rather  that  which  is  set  before  us. 

It  is  indeed  the  side  of  human  responsibility,  and 
not  God's  secret  decrees,  that  is  first  of  all  presented 
in  the  seven  chapters  devoted  to  this  subject:  — 
"There  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be  pos- 
sessed." 

And  who  can  read,  with  a.iy  thoughtfulness,  the 
records  of  the  Apostolic  period,  without  recognizing 
the  importance  attached  to  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit ;  and 
at  the  same  time  admitting,  in  view  of  such  an  cnu- 


*  I  Cor.  xii.  4-1 1 — (Conybeare's  rendering). 
13 


290  ^-^-^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

meration  of  them  as  that  above  cited,  that  the  Chuich 
of  Christ  has  scarcely  any  present  possession  of  them. 
While  the  qualifications  for  the  Apostolic  office  were 
plainly  exceptional,  and  the  gift  of  tongues  is  in- 
stanced as  designed  for  a  sign  rather  than  service,  yet 
taking  these  gifts  as  a  whole,  there  is  not  a  hint  in 
Holy  Scripture  of  their  temporary  use,  and  subse- 
quent withdrawal ;  and  without  such  an  authority 
against  it,  it  is  but  simply  reasonable  to  regard  the 
gifts  of  God  as  given  in  perpetuity  to  His  Church. 
Nor  dare  we  claim  that  the  blessed  truth  of  His  be- 
stowal, is  a  whit  altered  by  the  sad  fact  of  our  failure 
in  receptive  faith. 

Joshua  was  old  and  well  stricken  in  years  when  the 
Lord  reminded  him  of  the  neglect  of  his  people  to 
possess  the  land ;  indeed,  it  would  even  appear  that 
some  of  the  possessions  once  theirs  had  relapsed  to 
the  enemy.  But  what  was  their  delay  and  loss  to 
ours?  For  nearly  nineteen  centuries  the  Church  has 
had  her  Mighty  Conqueror,  and  her  Land  of  Promise; 
but  while  advancing  here  and  there,  what  hold  has 
she  at  large  upon  this  vast  heritage  ?  Mental  gifts 
have  indeed  been  recognized  and  received  often  all 
possible  culture ;  but  how  often  have  spiritual  gifts — 
God's  own  special  gifts — been  given  over  to  suspicion, 
and  sarcasm,  and  scorn  ?  It  does  not  furnish  the  least 
excuse  for  this,  that  there  has  been  so  much  of  false 
pretence,  and  even  imposture,  and  so  much  conse- 
quent delusion  ;  for  whatever  of  Truth  God  has  given 


CHOICE  rossF.ssioys.  291 

us,  we  are  bound  to  take  fearlessly,  however  counter- 
feited or  perverted  :  still  further,  there  ivill  be  coun- 
terfeits and  perversions  until  we  take  it.*  Error 
always  thrives  upon  neglected  Truth.  How  often  it 
happens  tjiat  in  such  errors  we  see  the  distorted  and 
preposterous  shadows  of  Truth  before  her  light  has 
fully  risen.  Again,  there  may  be  another  solution  of 
a  certain  class  of  errors  which  seem  to  contain  a  por- 
tion of  truth.  The  basis  only  of  such  spiritual  gifts 
having  been  laid  in  our  nature  at  our  birth,  as  a  body 
prepared  for  a  soul — this,  if  the  real  gift  be  not  re- 
ceived from  God's  own  Spirit,  will  still  remain  as  a 
certain  blind  abortive  power,  working  irregularly  and 
fruitlessly.  Had  the  Church  of  Christ  retained  her 
spirituality,  she  might  never  have  been  vexed  with  so- 
called  Spiritualism.  Had  she  had  more  simple  faith, 
she  would  never  have  witnessed  such  silly  credulity. 

It  is  precisely  these  special  personal  gifts  of  the 
Spirit,  rather  than  the  more  general  blessings  of  the 
Gospel,  that  find  their  symbol  in  this  distribution. 
All  that  is  common  in  the  heritage  depends  for  de- 
velopment upon  that  which  is  peculiar ;  and  it  is  this 
dependence,  which  renders  the  right  reception  of 
these  powers  a  matter  of  such  importance.  The 
Church  can  only  reach  her  true  estate,  as  each  one 

*  Christlieb,  in  the  Preface  to  his  "  Modern  Doubt  and  Christian 
Belief,"  says  wisely — "  Error  is  always  assuredly  a  mixture  of 
truth  and  falsehood,  nor  can  be  overcome  so  hmg  as  the  elements 
of  truth  which  it  contains  are  unacknowledged^  dsid  not  carefully 
separated  from  what  is  false."     (See  p.  xi.) 


2Q2  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

iises  that  gift  which  God  has  given  for  this  vety  pur- 
pose : — ''  He  gave  some  as  Apostles  ;  and  some  as 
prophets  ;  and  some  as  evangelists  ;  and  some  as  pas- 
tors and  teachers  ;  for  the  perfeeting  of  the  saints, 
for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying  of  the 
body  of  Christ :  till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the 
faith  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God  unto 
a  perfect  man  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
fulness  of  Christ  ;"* — this  for  the  positive  gain  ;  and 
for  the  negative,  a  deliverance  thus,  and  only  thus, 
from  all  that  is  false  and  fanatical ; — ^'  That  we  hence- 
forth be  no  more  children,  tossed  to  and  fro,  and 
carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 
sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby  they 
lie  in  wait  to  deceive."  f 

But  now  let  us  gather  up  in  order  other,  but  often 
accordant  lessons  of  the  distribution  of  the  Land. 
The  first  tribes  mentioned  are  those  of  Reuben  and 
Gad,  and  the  half  tribe  of  Manasseh,  on  the  east  of 
Jordan.  Their  inheritance  was  not  given  them  by 
lot,  and  although  included  in  the  larger  grant  that 
was  made  to  Abraham,  it  was  not  in  that  portion 
which  at  this  time  was  assigned  to  them  by  the  Lord 
• — the  land  of  Canaan.:]:  While  awaiting  the  end  of 
the  .forty  years,  two  of  the  tribes  had  settled  upon 
Gilead  as  their  future  home,  and  preferred  a  request 
for  this  to  Moses,  with  no  attempt  to  conceal  their 
motive  :  "  The  country  is  a  land  for  cattle,  and  thy 

♦  Eph.  iv.  11-13.      t  Eph.  iv.  14.      \  See  Num.  xxxiv.  1-12. 


CHOICE  POSSESSIONS.  293 

servants  have  cattle."*  Their  choice  resembled  that 
of  Lot,  who  would  have  the  well-watered  plain,  how- 
ever near  to  Sodom.  Moses  was  justly  displeased, 
and  saw  clearly  the  tendency  of  such  falling  off  from 
the  great  advance  awaiting  them,  likening  it  to  the 
sin  of  the  spies  in  discouraging  other  hearts.  Upon 
their  promise  to  go  over  with  their  brethren,  and  help 
to  fight  their  battles,  after  which  they  would  return, 
Moses  acceded  to  their  wish  rather  than  approved  it. 
It  very  soon  appeared  how  this  choice  exposed  them 
to  indifference  and  danger.  In  the  sublime  Song  of 
Deborah  we  trace  one  of  the  first  of  these  results  : — 

*'  At  thQ  brooks  of  Reuben  were  great  resolutions  of  heart. 
Why  remainest  thou  between  the  hurdles, 
To  hear  the  piping  of  the  flocks  ? 
At  the  brooks  of  Reuben  were  great  projects  of  heart, 
Gilead  rests  on  the  other  side  of  the  Jordan. "t 

And  so  they  had  come  rapidly  to  the  pass,  when 
their  patriotism  could  evaporate  in  good  resolutions 
and  grand  projects ;  when  the  soft  shepherd's  pipe 
could  seduce  them  from  the  stern  summons  of  the 
Trumpet.  Further  on  we  find  that,  exposed  as  they 
were  to  the  advance  of  foreign  enemies,  their  cities 
were  the  first  to  surrender ;  after  which  their  idolatry 
and  consequent  captivity  hastened  apace.:):  Yet  Reu- 
ben was  Israel's  first-born,  and  who  can  say  what  lot 
God  held  for  him."    But   he  could   not  wait  for  the 


*  Num.  xxxii.  4.  t  Judges  v.  15-17— Keil  and  Delitzsch. 

\  I  Chron.  v.  25,  26. 


294  '^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSIJVG. 

slow  giving  of  God.  It  was  not  the  sin  of  him  who 
sold  his  birthright  for  a  mess  of  pottage  ;  yet  he  who 
had  chosen  only  a  place  for  cattle,  could  never  be 
chosen  by  God  to  furnish  either  prophet,  judge,  or 
king,  to  the  house  of  Israel. 

"  Bring  us  not  over  Jordan,"  is  still  the  entreaty  of 
many  a  Christian.  Ask  us  not  to  give  up  these 
worldly  advantages :  let  our  possessions  lie  among 
the  things  of  earth  :  has  not  godliness  the  promise 
of  the  life  that  now  is  ?  We  will  not  fail  to  help  on 
the  cause  of  Christ ;  we  will  be  loyal  to  Him  and  to 
His  Church  ;  but  ask  us  not  to  go  further ;  we  are 
content  to  take  up  a  lower  position.  And  God  may 
hearken  to  them  in  this — giving  them  their  desire, 
even  while  He  sends  "  leanness  into  their  soul." 
Alas,  for  the  high  hopes  of  all  whose  chief  care  is 
for  cattle  !  Sooner  or  later  they  will  learn  that  the 
Lord  Jesus  said  not  in  vain,  "  Beware  of  covetous- 
ness ;  for  a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abun- 
dance of  the  things  which  he  possesseth." 

And  yet  while  giving  up  all  selfish  choice,  to  let 
God  choose  our  inheritance  for  us,  we  are  at  the  same 
time  even  commanded  to  "  Covet  earnestly  the  best 
gifts."*  Thus  we  find  Caleb  asking  for  one  of  the 
choicest  portions,  and  receiving  it  as  the  first  inherit- 
ance over  Jordan ;  at  the  same  time  reminding 
Joshua  of  the  events  of  forty-five  years  before,  and 
of  the  good  word  which  he  had  brought  according  as 

*  I  Cor.  xii.  31. 


CHOICE   POSSESSIOXS. 


295 

it  was  in  his  heart ;  for  deep  conviction  and  a  con- 
science that  held  him  true  to  tfiis  in  his  confession,  had 
left  no  room  in  this  noble  heart  for  the  cowardice  of  the 
ten  spies.  What  memories  must  have  revived  in  these 
two  men,  as  he  went  on  to  say,  *'  Thou  knowest  the 
thing  which  the  Lord  spake  concerning  me  and  thee, 
in  Kadesh-Barnea :" — No  need  to  cast  the  lot  for 
Caleb !— he  had  known  all  those  years  where  his  pos- 
sessions lay: — "  Now,  therefore,  give  me  this  moun- 
tain, whereof  the  Lord  spake  in  that  day."* 

Long  before  he  saw  it,  Hebron  must  have  been 
dear  to  him  by  all  hallowed  associations.  It  was  an 
old  city  when  Abraham  pitched  his  tent  in  the  plain  of 
Mamre,  which  is  in  Hebron.f  It  was  there  that  Jehovah 
and  His  angels  visited  him.  It  was  there  that  in  bit- 
ter bereavement,  he  bought  the  only  spot  that  was 
his  by  earthly  title— a  grave  in  which  to  bury  his 
dead  out  of  his  sight.  There  he  himself  was  buried. 
There  Isaac  came  to  sojourn  in  old  age,  and  in  his 
turn  be  buried.  To  the  same  tomb  had  been  borne, 
in  solemn  state,  the  embalmed  body  of  Israel.  The 
spot  itself  was  one  of  rare  beauty;  the  hill— which 
still  bears  an  ancient  oak  called  "  the  Patriarch  "— 
overlooks  a  picturesque  and  fertile  valley,  and  trav- 
ellers tell  us  of  the  varied  charms  that  complete  the 
picture,  in  their  most  glowing  language.  But  delight- 
ful as  was  the  spot,  it  was  the  most  difficult  of  all  to 
Its  name  at  that  time  marked  it  as  the  abode 
'*l^^xiv.6-i2.  tGen.  xiii.  18. 


vvm. 


296 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSIiVG. 


of  giants — "  Kirjath-ar^a,  the  city  of  Arba,  the  father 
of  Anak."  The  sight  of  the  Anakims  had  brought  no 
dismay  to  the  youthful  heart  of  Caleb ;  and  now 
while  strong  men  had  died  in  the  wilderness,  he  still 
kept  the  undiminished  vigor  of  his  prime.  Moreover, 
the  Lord  was  with  him : — "  I  shall  be  able  to  drive 
them  out,  as  the  Lord  said ;  " — '^  And  Joshua  blessed 
him,  and  gave  unto  Caleb  the  son  of  Jephunneh 
Hebron  for  an  inheritance.  Hebron  therefore  be- 
came the  inheritance  of  Caleb,  because  that  he  wholly 
followed  the  Lord  God  of  Israel."^  Henceforth,  no 
longer  the  city  of  the  giants,  it  was  to  bear  that  name 
which  signified  Com  nunion.  Fellowship;  —  as  the 
Arabs  call  it  to  this  day,  "  The  friend  of  God''  Nor 
is  it  surely  without  its  meaning  in  a  Book  where  names 
are  so  significant  and  cypical,  that  it  was  at  Hebron 
that  David  was  anointed  King  of  all  Israel,  and  that 
there  he  reigned  seven  years  before  his  throne  was  set 
up  at  Jerusalem.  Blessings  gather  like  a  halo,  around 
the  very  dwelling-pla(:e  of  him  who  wholly  follows 
the  Lord  his  God. 

And  still  God  has  His  choice  possessions ;  and  He 
gives  them  still  to  the  ''willing  and  obedient."  They 
belong  to  those  who,  while  others  are  doubting  or 
denying  His  Word  of  promise,  still  serve  Him  stead- 
fastly in  all  good  conscience.  Such  a  faith  fears  not 
to  claim  its  possessions.  Nor  does  it  marvel  when 
evil  is  heard  saying : 

*  Josh.  xiv.  13,  14. 


CHOICE  POSSKSS/OXS.  207 


"  I  tl;  ought  the  best,  perverted,  would  be  woist." 

And  so  it  turns  not  back  from  the  ho})c  of  recovering 
God's  primeval  blessing,  where  ail  seems  given  over  to 
the  curse.  Man's  noblest  powers  and  privileges  are 
ever  the  first  to  be  seized  by  Satan  for  his  stronghold  ; 
but  the  Spirit  of  God  is  well  able  to  dispossess  him, 
though  like  the  three  Anakims,  he  sit  there  in  his 
giant  trinity  of  evil,  keeping  his  goods  in  peace. 
Nothing  in  man  has  suffered  loss  like  that  which  is 
highest  in  him,  because  most  like  God.  Instead  of 
that  holy  love  that  was  to  hold  him  with  all  his  heart 
and  strength  to  the  Source  of  his  life,  that  he  might 
ever  be  enriched  from  Him  whose  name  is  Love — in- 
stead of  that  blessed  love  which  was  to  knit  him  also 
to  his  kind,  in  all  varied  relationships  and  companion- 
ships, that  so  it  might  join  all  together  in  one  body, 
and  compact  and  supply  all,  as  it  thus  made  increase 
with  the  very  increase  of  God — instead  of  this,  the 
powers  that  were  given  for  it,  have  stooped  to  the 
creature  in  place  of  the  Creator,  and  so  sunk  into  in- 
ordinate and  vile  affections,  until  the  sacred  name  of 
Love  has  been  often  utterly  lost  in  that  of  Lust.  A 
very  den  of  wild  beasts,  or  at  best,  a  city  of  the 
giants,  is  then,  that  heart  of  man  which  God  created 
to  love  Him,  and  to  love  its  fellow. 

Yes,  Love — Communion — Fellowship — this  is 
the  choice  possession  in  all  our  Father's  land.  The 
gifts  of  intellect  may  be  even  glorious,  and  yet  have 


2o8  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

no  glory,  by  reason  of  one  that  excelleth.  Love  is 
set  higher  than  knowledge,  not  only  for  her  own  sake, 
but  because  she  has  a  wisdom  all  her  own,  which 
grows  not  in  the  slow  way  of  gathering  from  without, 
but  glows  out  from  within,  a  light  and  a  law  unto  it- 
self! Love  does  not  become  rich  ;  she  is  born  an  heir- 
ess. What  privilege  like  that  of  being  a  "  friend  of 
God  !  "  Such  sublimating  power  lies  in  this  blessed 
fellowship,  that  it  is  but  a  little  step  from  it  to  glory. 
So  Enoch  walking  with  God,  "  was  not,  for  God  took 
him."  So  the  face  of  Moses  shines,  and  Stephen's 
becomes  like  that  of  an  angel.  The  very  life  of  God 
being  most  fully  expressed  in  Love,  it  becomes  the  life 
of  our  life,  feeding  it,  warming  it,  and  cherishing  it.  It 
is  the  very  Sun  that  shineth  in  its  strength.  What 
wonders  might  it  not  work  on  this  poor,  starving 
earth,  so  turned  as  it  is  from  its  true  pole,  that  its 
short  days  can  only  shiver  in  a  few  slanting  rays. 
Whenever  man  will  let  his  God  bring  back  this  per- 
verted love,  to  be  true  to  Him,  his  whole  nature  will 
leap  into  luxuriance.  Germs  that  lie  utterly  dor- 
mant, will  then  be  developed.  The  world  awaits  this 
healing,  quickening  miracle  of  Love ;  and  blessed  in- 
deed, are  they  who,  meanwhile,  follow  the  Lord  so 
fully  that  He  can  give  them  this  choice  inheritance. 

Yet  we  are  taught  also  by  this  record  that  it  is  in- 
deed, 

"  The  most  difficult  of  tasks  to  keep 
Heights  which  the  soul  is  competent  to  gain." 


CHOICE  POSSESSIONS.  299 

Joshua  had  ah'cady  taken  Hebron  ;  but  now  it  needed 
to  be  retaken  by  Caleb,  and  yet  again  by  David.  ''  The 
expulsive  power  of  a  new  affection"  is  needed  not  only 
to  drive  out,  but  to  keep  out  all  that  is  unhallowed. 
Here,  then,  first  of  all  in  this  Citadel  of  Love  and 
holy  fellowship  with  the  Father  and  with  the  Son, 
our  King  sets  up  His  throne.*  Here  we  make  our 
covenant  with  Him,  and  He  with  us,  and  then  when 
our  love  has  been  perfected.  He  will  reign  yet  more 
royally  in  "  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  de- 
scending out  of  heaven  from  God,  having  the  glory 
of  God." 

In  the  portion  of  Caleb,  there  was  one  stronghold 
reserved  by  him  for  the  prowess  of  another  arm, 
that  should  at  the  same  time  secure  a  greater  prize  : 
**  And  Caleb  said,  He  that  smiteth  Kirjath-sepher, 
and  taketh  it,  to  him  will  I  give  Achsah  my  daugh- 
ter to  wife."  The  little  episode  that  follows  is  again 
repeated  in  the  Book  of  Judges,  as  though  its  lovely 
lesson  might  possibly  be  overlooked.f  The  daugh- 
ter knew  her  father's  bounty,  and  so  she  moved  her 
husband  to  ask  of  him  a  field  ;  and  along  with  this 
they  needed  springs  of  water :— for  this  she  herself 
will  ask  him.  Drawing  nigh  in  her  journey  to  her 
father,  she  alights  in  token  of  reverence  and  entreaty. 
But  before  her  lips  can  shape  a  word,  the  father's 
heart   is  open  :— "  What  wilt   thou,  my  daughter  ?' 

TcfTchron.  xi.  1-7,  and  xxix.  27. 
t  Cf.  Josh.  XV.  16-19.  and  Judj^es  i.  12-15. 


300  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

"  Give  me  a  blessing  ;  for  thou  hast  given  me  a  south 
land  ;  give  me  also  springs  of  water."  "  And  he  gave 
her  the  upper  springs  and  the  nether  springs  :'* — • 
above  all  she  had  asked  or  thought  ;  springs  in  the 
valley,  and  springs  also  upon  the  hills,  so  that  she 
should  lack  no  good  thing.  The  lot  was  not  so 
rigid  as  to  exclude  either  rewards  for  the  faithful, 
or  free  gifts  for  the  filial,  trusting  heart.  The  patient 
endurance  of  a  dry  land  might  have  been  a  good 
thing ;  but  how  much  better  the  faith  that  drew  her 
on  !  What  dearth,  what  weary  wanderings  might 
have  been  her  portion,  had  she  never  said  at  her 
father's  feet,  ''  Give  me  a  blessing  !" 

Whatever  portion  God  has  assigned  to  us,  or  what- 
ever He  has  permitted  our  hand  to  win,  what  is  any- 
thing or  all,  unless  He  add  the  blessing  of  these 
springs  of  water,  of  which  He  has  told  us,  ''  The 
water  that  I  shall  give  shall  be  within,  a  well  of  wa- 
ter springing  up  unto  everlasting  life."  No  simpler, 
stronger  symbol  of  the  Spirit,  could  be  found  than 
this.  A  Spring  —  a  Well-spring  —  never  dry  —  never 
turbid — from  its  clear  depths,  fed  through  the  secret 
veins  of  earth,  it  gushes  ever  into  life  ;  it  goeth  not 
downward,  but  it  springeth  up.  Resisting  its  own 
common  law,  it  resists  also  the  influences  that  meet 
it  :  in  the  fiery  heat  of  summer  it  is  the  cool  and. 
satisfying  spring ;  and  the  fierce  frosts  of  winter  can 
not  bind  it,  for  it  is  warm  with  central  heat.  The 
soul  that  has  found  all  its  springs  in  God,  never  knows 


CHOI  :E   POSSESSIOXS.  30T 

its  supplies  to  fail  or  vary.  And  wc  need  bcjth  upper 
and  nether  springs:  we  need  the  Spirit  of  (iod  in  the 
Highest  regions  of  life  ;  and  down  to  its  lowest  level, 
the  need  is  still  the  same.  The  thought  of  few  of 
God's  children  is  broad  enough  to  embrace  both  in 
their  asking.  With  some  the  thought  is  this— In  the 
things  of  God  we  must  have  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  but 
it  would  derogate  from  His  dignity  to  refer  the  com- 
monplaces of  life  to  Him.  Such  familiarity  were 
fatal  —  our  own  judgment,  our  natural  powers,  are 
our  resources  here.  Again,  others  have  no  true  con- 
ception of  spiritual  things  ;  never  having  been  among 
these  hills,  they  only  aspire  to  live  out  life  in  the  low 
valley  of  common  duties,  and  to  have  these  enriched 
by  blessing  from  the  Lord. 

Meanwhile,  our  Father's  thought  is  to  harmonize 
these  tw^o  regions  of  life,  and  no  Christian  can  have 
real  completeness  of  character  without  it.  Who  has 
not  known  good  people— say  holy  men  and  women — 
saints,  indeed,  in  all  spiritual  things,  with  both  knowl- 
edge and  power— whom  to  meet  was  a  delight  ;— but 
with  whom  to  live  were  utter  discord  ;  — they  had 
no  nether  springs :  spiritual,  but  not  practical,  they 
seemed  better  fitted  for  heaven  than  earth.  Such  a 
life  is  not  patterned  after  that  of  Christ.  The  Lord 
Jesus  never  overlooked  the  little  things:  one  mo- 
ment with  His  holy  hands  lifting  the  cold,  folded 
palms  of  Jairus'  little  daughter,  and  saying  from  the 
heights  of  spiritual   power,   "Damsel,  arise!"  — the 


302  ^^^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

next  moment,  He  commands  the  astonished  and  for- 
getful mother  to  give  her  something  to  eat !  The 
faith  that  is  fully  poised  forgets  no  earthly  duty. 
Abraham,  when  he  entertains  angels,  can  run  to  the 
herd  "as  the  thoughtful  host,  to  make  ready  their 
table  ;  nor  do  even  angels  upon  their  side  neglect  the 
courtesy  of  partaking  of  his  feast.  What  might  not 
even  the  petty  things  of  life — as  we  dare  to  call  them 
— become,  if  thus  purified  and  elevated  by  the  per- 
meating Spirit !  How  many  a  wife  and  mother  finds 
that  her  lot  has  fallen  in  a  valley,  and  that  her  field 
of  service  in  itself  is  almost  utterly  arid.  It  is  not  a 
change  of  lot  she  needs — it  is  the  fountain  of  living 
water.  Coming  to  her  Father  in  heaven  not  with 
murmuring,  but  thanksgiving,  how  graciously  He 
listens  to  her  plea,  "  Give  me  a  blessing."  It  is 
there  already — close  beside  her,  but  unseen  by  her 
weeping  eyes,  until  God  shows  her  the  well.  Then 
she  thirsts  no  more  ;  and  He  teaches  her  how  to 
guide  the  gracious  gift,  till  everywhere  her  valley 
home  is  green  and  glad. 

We  find  next  in  order  a  request  from  the  children 
of  Joseph.  Already  Manasseh  held  the  rich  portion 
of  all  Bashan,  and  half  of  Gilead,^  while  the  five 
daughters  of  Zelophehad  had  been  allowed  to  count 
as  so  many  heirs  along  with  the  five  brethren  of  their 
father  in  receiving  ten  portions  in  Canaan.  Ephraim 
also  had  one  of  the  richest  portions  in  all  the  land. 

*  Josh.  xiii.  29-31. 


CHOICE  POSSESSIONS.  y^^ 

But  covetous  of  still  more,  they  brought  their  cause 
to  Joshua,  resting  their  claim  not  on  any  word  o!  he 
Lord,  but  upon  their  own  conceit : — '*  Why  hast  thou 
given  me  but  one  lot  and  one  portion  to  inherit,  see- 
ing I  am  a  great  people,  forasmuch  as  the  Lord  hath 
blessed  me  hitherto?"  The  answer  of  Joshua,  him- 
self an  Ephraimite,  was  both  just  and  spirited. 
He  challenges  them  to  prove  their  greatness  by  cut- 
ting down  the  wood  country,  and  driving  out  the 
giants.  They  object  that  they  are  not  able  to  do  this, 
since  the  Canaanites  have  iron  chariots.  But  Joshua, 
even  in  virtually  granting  their  request,  abides  by  his 
first  decision — "  Thou  art  a  great  people,  and  hast 
great  power;  thou  shalt  not  have  one  lot  only;  but 
the  mountains  shall  be  thine  ;  for  it  is  a  wood  and  thou 
shalt  cut  it  down :  and  the  outgoings  of  it  shall  be 
thine  ;  for  thou  shalt  drive  out  the  Canaanites,  though 
they  have  iron  chariots,  and  though  they  be  strong."* 
The  rebuke  belongs  to  all  who  desire  God's  immedi- 
ate giving,  to  take  the  place  of  their  own  courage  and 
energy;  who  would  have  Him  even  make  up  the  de- 
ficit of  their  own  timidity  and  indolence.  There  are 
many  who  aspire  to  be  gifted  by  the  Lord,  who  are 
slow  to  see  how  largely  He  gives  through  their  own 
diligent  use  of  what  He  has  already  given— the  full 
cultivation  and  occupancy  of  their  own  lot.  What  an 
enlarging  of  all  our  lots  would  there  be,  if  instead  of 
vainly  envying  the  gifts  denied  us,  we  gave  all  dili- 

*  Josh.  xvii.  14-18. 


304  ^^^    FUL.VESS  OF  BLESSIATG. 

gence  in  clearing  the  wilderness,  in  breaking  up  the 
fallow  ground,  and  above  all,  in  expelling  every  enemy. 
The  clamor  of  conceit  is  ever — ''  Give  me  opportunity, 
and  I  will  be  great  :"  the  answer  for  all  such  is, 
"  Show  yourselves  great  by  first  filling  the  sphere  in 
which  you  already  are." 

After  the  allotment  of  the  Land  as  far  as  the  fami- 
lies of  Judah  and  Joseph,  the  work  was  for  a  time 
suspended.  No  outward  cause  existed  for  this. 
Joshua  said  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  that  is,  the 
seven  remaining  tribes  which  had  not  yet  received 
their  inheritance — ''  How  long  are  ye  slack  to  go  to 
possess  the  land  which  the  Lord  God  of  your  fathers 
hath  given  you  ?"  It  seems  almost  incredible  that 
after  all  this  training,  and  preparation,  and  warfare, 
when  there  remained  but  one  more  simple  step  to  the 
realization  of  God's  great  promise — even  then  they 
should  come  short  of  it.  Jordan — Gilgal — Jericho — • 
they  had  failed  at  none  of  these ;  yet  now  a  spirit  of 
sloth  possesses  them  at  the  last  critical  moment. 
It  is  found  needful  to  rouse  them  by  a  new  expedient 

Three  men  from  each  tribe  were  appointed  to  go 
through  the  land  and  describe  it.  Walking  first 
through  the  entire  country,  they  then  "  described  it 
by  cities  into  seven  parts,  in  a  book."  This  explora- 
tion not  only  served  them  essentially  in  the  casting  of 
lots,  but  was  of  far  more  importance  in  another  way. 
When  they  had  seen  the  land  with  their  own  eyes, 
and  the    people  had  heard    from  them  this  minute 


CHOICE  FOSSES^JOXS.  ^05 

report,  they  were  aroused  to  new  eagerness  to  en- 
joy it. 

Such  slackness  as  theirs  is  found  still  in  the  Church 
of  Christ,  and  as  then,  in  by  far  the  greater  majority. 
Some  indeed,  like  Judah  and  Joseph,  press  on  at 
once  to  their  possessions;  but  others  linger  until 
some  one  arises  to  stir  them  up.  Inertia  of  spirit  is 
one  of  the  last  besetments  of  the  believer — the  more 
to  be  feared,  that  it  comes  at  a  time  when  he  needs 
to  be  especially  alert.  If  the  first  step  of  our  Chris- 
tian course  be  decisive,  so  also  is  the  last :  **  For 
we  are  made  partakers  of  Christ,  if  we  hold  the  begin- 
ning of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end."*  The 
foot  must  not  grow  weary,  till  it  has  reached  in  its 
experience,  the  utmost  length,  and  utmost  breadth, 
of  all  the  promises  of  God. 

But  to  Christians  collectively,  how  emphatically 
may  it  be  still  said,  **  There  remaineth  yet  much  land 
to  be  possessed."  The  Church  has  still  to  measure 
out  with  the  lines  of  her  knowledge  even,  as  far  as 
the  revelation  of  the  Gospel  reaches.  There  are  vast 
regions  of  glorious  Truth  that  are  little  known  to  the 
many.  How  few  venture  into  the  wilderness  of 
Prophecy,  to  pitch  their  tents !  And  who  is  there  to 
go  up  that  highest  summit  among  all  their  holy  moun- 
tains, and  see  what  things  they  are  which  our  Blessed 
Lord  has  "  shewn  unto  His  servants,"  and  "  which 
must  shortly  come  to  pass?"t  What  heart  is  found  so 
*  Heb.  iU.  14.  +  Rc^-  '•  *• 


3o6 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING, 


full  of  holy  courage,  as  to  go  forth  alone,  and  year 
after  year,  steer  steadily  up  to  the 'great  fountain- 
heads  of  those  mighty  rivers,  that  have  flowed  so  long 
from  unknown  sources?  Alas,  for  Christianity,  when 
she  gave  up  that  good  old  way  of  "  faring  forth  "  to 
seek  the  Truth — to  go  into  her  cloister,  and  there 
with  infinite  pains  indeed,  make  out  her  maps  from 
the  old  models  of  men  whom  she  called  her  masters — 
till  at  last  she  could  settle  down  in  a  comfortable 
congratulation  over  their  completeness  !  What  room 
has  she,  indeed,  in  her  beautifully  executed  systems 
of  Theology,  for  the  strange  stories  of  these  travellers 
and  sight-seers ! 

It  were  wise  for  us  to  heed  such  a  voice  as  that 
which  charged  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  our  Land  in 
their  exile  for  conscience  sake — "  I  am  verily  per- 
suaded, I  am  very  confident,  that  the  Lord  hath  more 
truth  yet  to  break  forth  out  of  His  holy  Word."  * 
Lengthen  therefore  thy  cords,  O  Church  of  Christ. 


*  Neal '  gives  this  parting  address  of  Pastor  Robinson  as 
follows: — 

"  Brethern  : — ^We  are  now  quickly  to  part  from  one  another, 
and  whether  I  may  ever  live  to  see  your  faces  on  earth  any  more, 
the  God  of  heaven  only  knows ;  but  whether  the  Lord  has  ap- 
pointed that  or  no,  I  charge  you  before  God  and  His  blessed 
angels,  that  you  follow  me  no  further  than  you  have  seen  me  follow 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"  If  God  reveal  anything  to  you,  by  any  other  instrument  of  His, 
be  as  ready  to  receive  it  as  ever  you  were  to  receive  any  truth 
by  my  ministry  ;  for  I  am  verily  persuaded,  the  Lord  has  more 


CHOICE  FOSSESSIO.VS.  ^q- 

Strengthen  all  thy  stakes.  ''  Enlarge  the  place  of  ihy 
tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of  thy 
habitation."  Arise  !  walk  through  the  land,  yc 
chosen  men  of  God — Look  from  its  Mountain-tops — 
Sail  out  upon  its  Seas— Write  it  in  many  a  book — 
Describe  it  in  the  ears  of  all  the  people — Stir  them 
from  this  slackness — Let  them  know  what  arc  the 
riches  of  the  glory  of  this  inheritance  in  Christ  Jesus  ! 
The  last  of  all  to  receive  his  possession  in  the  Land 
of  Promise,  was  Joshua.     As  it  was  given  by  special 

truth  yet  to  break  forth  out  of  His  holy  Word.  For  my  part  I  can- 
not sufficiently  bewail  the  condition  of  the  Reformed  Churches, 
who  are  come  to  a  period  in  religion,  and  will  go  at  present  no 
further  than  the  instruments  of  their  reformation.  The  Lutherans 
cannot  be  drawn  to  go  beyond  what  Luther  saw  ;  whatever  part 
of  His  will  our  God  has  revealed  to  Calvin,  they  will  rather  die 
than  embrace  it ;  and  the  Calvinlsts,  you  see,  stick  fast  where  they 
were  left  by  that  great  man  of  God,  who  yet  saw  not  all  things. 

"  This  is  a  misery  much  to  be  lamented,  for  though  they  were 
burning  and  shining  lights  in  their  times,  yet  they  penetrated  not 
into  the  whole  counsel  of  God  ;  but  were  they  now  living,  would 
be  as  willing  to  embrace  further  light  as  that  which  they  first 
received.  I  beseech  you  remember  it  is  an  article  of  your 
Chjurch-Covenant,  that  you  be  ready  to  receive  whatever  truth 
shall  be  made  known  to  you  from  the  written  Word  of  God. 
Remember  that,  and  every  other  article  of  your  Sacred  Covenant. 
But  I  must  here  withal  exhort  you  to  take  heed  what  you  receive 
as  truth — examine  it,  consider  it ;  and  compare  it  with  other  Scrip- 
tures of  truth,  before  you  receive  it,  for  it  is  not  possible  the 
Christian  world  should  come  so  lately  out  of  such  thick  anti-Chris- 
tian darkness,  and  that  perfection  of  knowledge  should  break 
forth  at  oice." — NeaVs  History  of  the  Puritans,  Vol.  L,  pp.  476, 
477. 


3o8 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


word  of  God,  so  had  it  also  to  be  given  by  all  the 
people,  as  his  inheritance  among  them — Timnath- 
serah — the  portion  of  the  Sun.  Even  so,  when  ths 
Lord  Jesus  has  secured  to  all  His  people  the  posses- 
sions which  He  has  won  for  them,  then  will  His  tab- 
ernacle also  be  with  men,  and  He  will  dwell  among 
them. 

There  were  still,  however,  two  other  classes  to  be 
provided  for,  without  their  receiving  what  might  be 
called  an  inheritance.  These  classes  were  the  two 
extremes  of  Society — the  Manslayer  and  the  Levite. 
Even  for  the  poor  fugitive  fleeing  from  the  Avenger 
of  blood,  there  were  to  be  cities  where  he  might  not 
only  find  a  refuge,  but  a  home ; — a  refuge  in  all  cases 
until  his  cause  was  judged,  and  it  was  shown  whether 
he  was  an  unwilling  slayer,  or  a  murderer ;  and  then 
a  home,  if  delivered  from  judgment,  till  the  death  of 
the  High  Priest  should  restore  him  to  his  native  city. 
Thus  in  dividing  the  land,  the  Lord  did  not  forget 
the  needs  of  the  most  distressed.  The  six  cities 
selected  were  so  situated,  that  some  one  of  them  was 
always  within  reach.  So  has  the  Saviour  placed  Him- 
^self  within  the  reach  of  all,  even  of  such  as  are  in  ut- 
most peril  of  Vengeance.  He  is  the  Refuge,  and  the 
Home,  and  the  final  Restorer.  It  is  surely  most  sig- 
nificant that  instead  of  mean  and  unimportant  cities 
being  chosen,  these  six  were  all  among  the  forty- 
eight  Levitical  cities.  It  showed  not  only  the  stand- 
ing of  all  on  common    ground,  but  secuied  to    the 


CHOICE  POSSESSIONS. 


309 


distressed  the  utmost  sympathy  and  succor;  for  it  is 
always  found  that  the  purest  in  heart,  who  dwell 
nighest  to  God,  are  the  most  compassionate  and  lov- 
ing to  them  who  are  out  of  the  way. 

The  Levites  held  their  cities  upon  a  different  tenure 
from  the  other  tribes.  **  Unto  the  tribe  of  Levi 
Moses  gave  not  any  inheritance,  for  the  Lord  God  of 
Israel  was  their  inheritance,  as  He  said  unto  them."  * 
If  they  were  denied  in  some  sort  an  earthly  portion, 
it  was  that  they  might  claim  more  clearly  the  heavenly 
home.  This  distribution  of  the  Levites  among  all 
the  tribes  of  Israel  is  a  most  striking  instance  of  the 
reversal  of  a  curse ;  and  again,  taken  in  connection 
with  a  like  scattering  of  Simeon,  we  see  the  same 
outward  lot,  so  altered  by  inner  conditions,  as  to  pre- 
sent the  very  extremes  of  favor  and  displeasure. 
Both  of  them  were  to  be  divided  in  Jacob  and  scat- 
tered in  Israel.f  Simeon,  therefore,  instead  of  receiv- 
ing a  clearly-bounded  territory,  had  only  those  por- 
tions of  Judah  which  proved  too  much  for  that  tribe. 
The  cities  assigned  them  were  in  various  and  remote 
groups,  so  as  naturally  to  place  them  at  a  disadvan- 
tage, and  in  dependence  upon  others.  Simeon  is  very 
significantly  omitted  from  the  last  blessing  upon  the 
tribes  of  Israel ;  while  in  the  case  of  Levi,  we  find  a 
striking  series  of  prophecies,  extending  from  Genesis 
to  Malachi,  and  leading  from  the  depths  up  to  the 
heights.     Coupled  with  his  brother  Simeon,  we  heaf 


*  Josh.  xiii.  33-  +  ^^"-  ^^'•^-  5-7- 


310 


THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 


the  dying  Israel  recoil  from  fheir  anger  and  self-will — 
*'  O  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  secret ;  unto 
their  assembly,  mine  honor,  be  not  thou  united."  * 
What  a  change  had  come  upon  the  children  of  Levi, 
when  Moses  gave  his  blessing — ''  They  shall  teach 
Jacob  Thy  judgments,  and  Israel  Thy  law."f  And, 
finally,  to  what  honor  had  they  been  chosen,  when  we- 
read  in  Malachi :  "  My  covenant  was  with  him  of  life 
and  peace ;  and  I  gave  them  to  him  for  the  fear 
wherewith  he  feared  Me,  and  was  afraid  before  My 
name.  The  law  of  truth  was  in  his  mouth,  and  in- 
iquity was  not  found  in  his  lips :  he  walked  with  Me 
in  peace  and  equity,  and  did  turn  many  away  from 
iniquity." :[:  So  a  leaden  curse,  seeming  like  a  mill- 
stone about  their  necks,  is  transmuted  by  the  alchemy 
of  grace  into  a  sort  of  golden  crown ;  and  while  the 
first  is  found  to  be  the  last,  the  last  is  first.  Reuben, 
the  first-born,  has  sheep-folds ;  and  Levi,  the  out- 
cast, has  the  service  of  the  Most  High  God. 

However  bitter  and  dark  the  past  record  of  any 
life,  how  dare  any  one  despair  in  the  face  of  such  a 
fact  as  this?  And  what  a  stimulus  is  given  here,  as 
everywhere  in  God's  Word,  to  choose  the  better  part 
— to  brave  the  self-denial  and  abnegations  of  service, 
for  the  sake  of  such  a  covenant  of  life  and  peace,  and 
such  abundant  blessedness  to  others. 

How  many  ministers  of  Christ — how  many  mis- 
sionaries in  their  far  greater  sacrifices — must  have  had 

*  Gen.  xlix.  6.  j  Deut.  xxxiii.  lo.  \  Mai.  ii.  5,  6. 


CHOICE  POSSESSIONS.  3  j  | 

their  souls  sustained  by  the  assurance,  *'  The  Lord  God 
is  my  inheritance."  For  us  who  so  follow  Christ, 
there  is  a  standard  of  both  wealth  and  honor,  that  the 
world  wots  not  of.  The  True  Riches  outweigh  the 
treasures  of  all  earth;  and  looking  to  Iliin  who  said, 
"  I  am  among  you  as  He  that  servcth,"  we  rejoice  to 
make  ourselves  least  of  all,  and  servants  of  all,  and 
thus  in  all  lowliness  and  love — 

"To  fill  the  measure  up  of  gentle  deeds — 
Even  as  we  have  learned  that  in  these, 
That  in  the  holy  Christian  charities, 
And  the  suppliance  of  the  lowliest  needs 
Of  the  most  lowly,  our  true  greatness  is  !  " 

The  account  of  the  distribution  of  the  Land  closes 
with  a  strong  statement,  that  at  first  glance  would 
seem  unsupported  by  facts.  But  we  have  to  bear  in 
mind  that  the  great  reality  of  the  Lord's  giving  was 
none  the  less  true,  for  a  failure  here  and  there  to  re- 
ceive, or  to  keep  the  good  thing  that  had  been  given. 
It  is  the  record  of  what  the  Lord  had  done,  and  there- 
fore may  not  be  sullied  by  the  failures  of  man  :  ''  TllE 
Lord  gave  unto  Israel  ALL  THE  land  which  He 
sware  to  give  unto  their  fathers ;  and  they  possessed 
it  and  dwelt  therein.  And  THE  LORD  GAVE  THEM 
REST  round  about,  according  to  all  that  He  sware 
unto  their  fathers :  and  there  stood  not  a  man  of  all 
their  enemies  before  them;  THE  LORD  DELIVERED 
all  their  enemies  into  their  hand.     THERE  FAILED 


312  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

NOT  AUGHT  of  any  good  thing  which  the  Lord  had 
spoken  unto  the  house  of  Israel ;  ALL  CAME  TO 
PASS."  * 

It  was  the  triumph  of  that  same  Lord,  who,  "  when 
He  ascended  up  on  high,  led  captivity  captive,  and 
gave  gifts  unto  men."  It  is  this  same  Lord,  that  will, 
without  fail,  give  us  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  His  in- 
heritance, but  who,  therefore,  gives  to  every  one  of  us 
all,  some  special  gift  of  His  Spirit.  The  very  smallest 
of  them  all  may  not  be  hidden  with  impunity.  It  is 
even  because  the  gifts  so  differ,  that  we  are  to  be  so 
diligent  in  using  them. 

Fellow  -  Christian,  "  stir  up  the  gift  of  God  that  is  in 
thee  !  "  It  is  thy  wealth ;  it  is  thy  portion  among 
thy  brethren ;  be  not  slack  to  possess  thy  land. 
Church  of  Christ,  claim  all  thy  gifts  !  Thou  mayest 
not  say  of  one  of  them,  as  given  to  any  member  in 
all  thy  Body  —  "I  have  no  need  of  thee."  —  But 
"  COVET  EARNESTLY  THE  BEST  GIFTS." 


*  Josh.  xxi.  43-4S' 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE     LAST    CHARGE    OF    JOSHUA. 

*^npAKE    GOOD    HEED,   THEREFORE,   UNTO    YOUR- 
A     SELVES,    THAT    YE    LOVE     THE     LORD    YOUR 

God''— {Josh,  xxiii.   ii).     "As  for  me  and  my 

HOUSE,  we  will  serve  THE   LORD." — {Josh.  xxiv. 

15). 

The  testimony  of  Triumph  was  not  permitted  to  be 
the  close  of  the  Book  of  Joshua.  The  aged  Leader  of 
God's  people,  looking  to  their  future  as  well  as  to 
their  past,  had  a  solemn  message  to  leave  with  them 
before  he  was  gathered  to  his  fathers.  Once  and 
again  he  must  speak  those  words  of  cheer,  and  words 
of  warning,  that  pressed  upon  his  spirit.  His  deep 
interest  in  the  nation,  and  his  own  sense  of  responsi- 
bility, received  an  unmistakable  emphasis  in  the  second 
gathering  at  Shechem,  where  the  Elders  and  Judges^ 
**  stood  before  God,"  while  Joshua,  with  all  intensity 
of  earnestness,  gave  his  parting  charge. 

There  was  no  new  thing  to  say ;  but  simple  as  the 
exhortation  was,  momentous  were  the  interests  that 
hung  upon  their  heeding.      He  reminded   them  of 
14  •-313) 


314  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

what  the  Lord  had  done  in  the  past — of  what  He 
was  ready  to  do  in  the  future.  It  was  the  Lord  who 
would  still  fight  for  them,  and  continue  to  drive  out 
their  enemies ;  therefore  one  man  of  them  should 
chase  a  thousand.  But  as  He  had  brought  all  good 
things  upon  them,  so  would  He,  if  they  turned  away 
from  Him,  bring  upon  them  all  evil  things.  St.  Paul 
repeated  the  same  charge  in  substance,  when  he  wrote 
to  the  Church  in  Rome :  "  Behold  therefore  the 
goodness  and  severity  of  God— on  them  which  fell, 
severity  ;  but  toward  thee,  goodness,  if  thou  continue 
in  His  goodness;  otherwise  thou  also  shalt  be  cut 
off."  *  By  reason  of  such  hopes,  and  by  reason  of 
such  fears,  they  were  to  be  very  courageous  to  keep 
and  do  all  that  had  been  commanded.  From  idols 
and  false  gods,  and  from  all  who  served  them,  they 
were  to  turn  utterly  away.  And  that  all  this  might 
be  accomplished,  there  was  given  one  golden  watch- 
word—  "Take    good    heed    therefore    unto 

YOURSELVES,  THAT  YE  LOVE  THE  LORD  YOUR 
God."  f  As  God  has  no  other  power  whereby  to 
draw  us  unto  Himself  than  His  "  bands  of  love,'*  so 
has  He  no  other  power  by  which  to  hold  us  steadfast 
unto  the  end.  It  is  the  only  clew  that  has  been 
given  us,  to  lead  us  safely  out  from  the  labyrinth  of 
life,  and  we  may  not  let  it  slip ;  for  losing  this,  we 
wander  in  "  the  mist  of  darkness  forever."  With 
weightiest  reason,  therefore,  did  the  dying  Leader 
♦  Rom.  xi.  22.  t  Josh,  xxiii.  11. 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OF  JOSHUA.  315 

of  his  people  say,  *'  Take  good  heed  that  ye  LOVE  the 
Lord  your  God." 

The  first  pass-word  given  to  the  youthful  soldier 
is  "  Trust  ;"  but  as  the  hours  move  on,  he  finds 
that  he  must  learn  still  another  to  secure  his  safety — 
"  Watch."  The  Captain  of  our  salvation  who  gave 
the  first  so  often,  gave  this  also  at  the  last.  Sitting 
on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  with  none  but  Peter  and 
James  and  John  beside  Him,  He  could  not  say  it  to 
them  only;  but  His  holy  care  took  us  all  into  His 
thought  that  hour : — "  What  I  say  unto  you,  I  say 
unto  all.  Watch."*  How  solemnly  He  spoke  it 
in  the  Garden  !  Temptations  were  gathering  thick 
around  them  ;  therefore  they  were  to  watch  with  an 
eye  glancing  at  tRe  enemy,  even  while  resting  ever- 
more upon  God  : — "■  WaTCH  AND  PRAY,  that  ye  enter 
not  into  temptation. "f  And  there  was  yet  another 
need  to  watch.  The  Master  was  coming  in  the  Morn- 
ing ;  but  neither  man  nor  angel  knew  when  that 
morning  would  dawn  :  and  meantime  the  thief  would 
be  seeking  to  enter;  —  "Watch,  therefore,  for  ye 
know  not  what  hour  your  Loj;d_doth  come.":): 

So,  also,  St.  Paul  at  Miletus,  looking  for  the  last 
time  on  that  dear  flock  from  Ephcsus,  foresees  the 
grievous  wolves,  and  straightway  charges  them, 
"  Therefore,  Watch  !"  Already  by  the  space  of 
three  years,  he~Tiad  not  ceased  to  warn  every  one 
night  and^day  with   tears.     But   still   the   peril  will 

*  Mark  xiii.  37.  t  Matt.  xxvi.  41.  \  Matt.  xxiv.  42. 


9i6  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

come.  Even  from  among  those  very  men,  now 
weeping  sore  upon  his  neck,  will  some  arise  to  speak 
perverse  things  ;  and  unless  they  watch,  others  still 
will  be  drawn  away — "  TAKE  HEED,  therefore,  unto 
yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock."* 

St.  Peter,  also,  counted  it  not  enough  to  tell  in  his 
last  Epistle,  of  exceeding  great  and  precious  prom- 
ises ;  but  looking  on  to  the  days  of  "  false  teachers  " 
and  "  destructive  heresies,"  he  gives  thus  his  closing 
charge :  ''  Beloved,  BEWARE  lest  ye  also  being  led 
away  with  the  error  of  the  wicked,  fall  from  your 
own  steadfastness."  f 

At  the  close  of  that  most  wonderful  Epistle,  which 
above  all  others,  tells  us  of  Life,  and  Light,  and  Love, 
with  what  startling  abruptness  come  the  closing  words 
— as  though  the  Apostle  had  said  already  his  last 
tender  thoughts,  and  then  turned  again  to  utter  this 
one  brief  warning  —  "Little  children,  BEWARE  OF 
Idols.":|: 

Finally,  when  the  Lord  Jesus,  walking  in  the  midst 
of  the  seven  candlesticks,  sends  forth  His  messages 
to  the  Churches,  it  is  to  sound  successive  notes  of 
warning,  even  while  holding  out  the  highest  prom- 
ises.    The  solemn  charge  to  Sardis  is  more  or  less     k^ 
the  common  burden. jQ£„.alL::z:ilJaE_W\ATraFUL,  anT\'^ 
strengthen  the  things  wliicli-4:eaiakL,.,that  are  ready  V\ 
to  die."  §  ^     "^  -^ 


* 


Acts  XX.  17-38.  t2Pet.  iii.  17. 

X  I  John  V.  21.  §Rev.  iii.  2. 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OE  JOSHUA.  317 

If  one  would_ understand  th o  necessity  for  such 
warnings  from  age  to  age,  let  him  but  turn  to  the 
Records  of  that  Church  which  Christ  purchased  with 
His  own  blood.  "  So  safe,"  is  our  thought  at  first, 
as  we  look  upon  our  Surety.  So  safe  with  such  a 
Saviour — so  safe  through  the  might  of  the  indwelling 
Spirit_.  But  these  records,  what  say  they?  There  is 
i\o  study  that  is  so  passing  sorrowful  as  Church  His- 
tory, even  with  all  that  also  makes  it  joyful.^  Behold 
how  quickly  the  wolves  break  in,  and  the  slaughter 
and  scatterings^  the  sheep !  Behold  the  heavy 
mists  of  speculative  thought  rising  along  the  stag- 
nant shores  of  old  Philosophy,  and  spreading  far 
and  wide,  till  the  pure  air  is  poisoned  in  the  homes 
of  thousands !  Behold  the  floods  of  worldliness  let 
loose,  and  sweeping  along  the  multitude  !  Behold, 
again,  the  gross  darkness  that  covers  the  people,  till 
they  weary  themselves  as  in  the  very  fires,  to  purchase 
peace  and  pardon  ! 

And  even  when  the  Lord  came  forth  so  mar\'el- 
lously  to  restore  the  lost  Truth,  and  sent  a  new  Morn- 
ing, and  a  glad  Spring-time  to  the  world — behold  how 
speedily  once  more,  there  cam(!  the  blighting  winds 
of  deadly  doctrine^  or  more  destructive  still,  the  chill 
.frosts  of  utter  apathy  I  And  looking  also  at  the  time 
not  yet  handed  over  to  History,  behold  the  swift  and 
scathing  fires  that  incendiary  hands  have  kindled— 
setting  any  of  their  wild  lights  to  do  the  work,  and 
snatching    often  as  they  dare    the  sacred  torch  of 


■^  I  8  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

Science,  to  hurry  on  the  conflagration  !  Yet  of  the 
lands  that  have  been  thus  ravaged,  we  must  remem- 
ber, that  the  Lord  may  still  see  and  count  His  seven 
thousand,  while  even  a  prophet  thinks  himself  alone. 

In  view  of  all  the  past,  and  the  scourges  of  the 
present  in  many  a  region,  can  we  fondly  hope  that 
our  own  day,  or  our  own  land,  is  to  prove  at  last  the 
happy  exception  ?  Never,  indeed,  was  there  witnessed 
such  activity  in  spreading  the  Gospel — such  affluence 
even  of  Christian  appliances.  But  may  not  the  Church 
be  nearing  in  her  career  the  case  of  that  last  one 
among  the  typical  Seven,  when  she  seemed  in  her 
own  eyes  to  have  need  of  nothing?  —  and  yet  all 
that  the  faithful  and  true  Witness  could  say  was 
this,  "  Because  thou  art  lukewarm,  I  will  spew  thee 
out  of  my  mouth. ""^  No  external  activity  can  ever 
take  the  place  of  personal  affection  and  inward  com- 
munion with  the  Lord. 

Nor  is  this  the  only  peril  of  our  day.  We  recog- 
nize with  great  joy,  the  fact  of  a  wide-spread  earnest- 
ness to  come  up  to  a  higher  standard  of  Christian 
life.  Sometimes  it  would  seem  that  we  are  even  on 
the  eve  of  unprecedented  blessings.  There  is  good 
promise  of  a  more  vital  hold  on  Truth,  as  well  as  of 
its  clearer  vision.  There  are  signs  of  more  ardent 
love,  and  more  joyful  sacrifice  in  service.  Above  all, 
brotherly  love  is  making  the  boundary  lines  of  a 
greatly  divided  Church,  if  not  yet  indistinct,  yet  far 

*  Rev.  iii.  i6. 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OF  JOSHUA.  31Q 

more  jnobtrusive.  No  longer  high  walls  and  moats, 
but  blooming  hedgerows  mark  the  fields  upon  the 
one  vast  estate.  Indeed,  one  can  so  look  at  the 
present  blessings  of  the  Christian  community,  as  to 
make  the  simplest  suggestion  of  fear  appear  a  discord 
and  disloyalty. 

There  have  been  times  not  a  few— and  in  whose 
memory  is  there  not  such  a  one  — when  God's 
Spirit  has  so  brooded  over  great  assemblies,  as  to 
knit  them  into  wondrous  unity,  and  to  lift  them  up 
as  on  wings  of  eagles.  Did  it  not  seem  on  some  such 
happy  day  as  though  all  that  was  low,  and  petty,  and 
self-v/illed,  had  gone  forever !  The  River  swelled  with 
the  upheaving  tide  from  God's  great  outer  Sea,  till  all 
its  wonted  obstacles,  its  sand-bars  and  its  snags,  were 
too  far  down  to  touch,  and  free  and  fearless  each  little 
sail  went  on  its  way.  The  full  flood  of  Heavenly 
Love  had  lifted  them  all  up  into  safety.  But  have 
we  no  need  to  watch  the  ebbing?  How  soon  may 
the  mindful  Spirit  need  to  revive  these  memories — 
"  Remember,  therefore,  how  thou  hast  received  and 
heard  ;  and  hold  fast,  and  repent."* 

Do  we  not  already  see  the  signs  that  should  be 
heeded?  Has  not  the  Philistine  stalked  into  our 
conquered  Canaan?  It  is  such  an  easy  step  from 
leading  the  people  like  a  flock,  to  lording  it  over 
God's  heritage ;  so  natural  after  judging  for  oneself, 
to  judge  the  consciences  of  others  also  ;  so  easy  to  for- 

*  Rev.  iii.  3. 


320  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

get,  that  the  angelic  tongue  may  turn  to  a  poor  tink- 
ling cymbal,  and  all  knowledge  and  all  faith  become 
nothing,  the  moment  charity  collapses.  Arrogance, 
bickerings,  cliques,  dogmatism,  jealousies — one  dead 
fly  among  them  all,  will  spoil  the  best  "ointment 
of  the  apothecary "  —  What  have  they  who  speak 
of  holiness,  to  do  with  unclean  things  like  these ! 

Nor  must  it  be  overlookedTtHat  the  very  qualities 
which  fit  men  to  be  leaders,  expose  them  to  the  dan- 
ger of  such  assumption,  grounded  upon  strength  of 
will.  And  precisely  here  are  some  of  the  most  diffi- 
cult of  conquests  called  for :  the  development  of 
active  energies  is  an  easy  task;  but  to  be  gentle  as 
Christ  was  gentle — "  in  meekness  to  instruct  those 
that  oppose  themselves  " — to  make  oneself  of  no  rep- 
utation— this  is  the  difficult  task ;  for  this  sets  aside 
the  high  spirit  of  man,  that  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  may 
rule  in  all  things. 

All  such  as  have  found  in  faith  the  victory  that 
overcometh  the  world,  still  need  to  listen  to  one  of 
the  most  striking  features  in  this  last  charge  of 
Joshua; — the  direction  given  to  still  drive  out  their 
atemics.^  Such  a  charge  at  first  seems  to  contradict 
the  claim  of  a  complete  conquest.  But  it  is  found 
thoroughly  true  in  experience.  Whoever  dreams  that 
because  his  Garden  has  been  well-weeded,  he  may 
now  give  over  that  care?  How  often  it  happens  that 
the    round  is   not  complete,  before  it  needs  some- 

*  Josh,  xxiii.  5. 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OF  JOSITUA.  321 

where  to  be  renewed.  No  weed  may  be  suffered  to 
sow  its  seed  in  that  well-enclosed  spot,  but  the  germs 
are  in  the  very  soil,  and  they  float  on  all  the  winds. 
One  may  gain  upon  them,  som(;  of  them  may  wholly 
disappear,  and  the  others  be  krown  only  to  one  vigi- 
lant eye  and  unsparing  hand — but  wherever  man  is 
put  into  his  garden  ''to  dress  ;t  and  to  keep  it,"  he 
will  have  to  continue  this  conquest.  And  what  need 
to  watch  also  the  too  rampant  growth — to  train  that 
which  is  wild  and  irregular,  to  prune  the  choice  vine 
that  it  may  bear  much  fruit — to  watch  the  insidious 
and  fast-spreading  blight — the  sudden  attacks  of  in- 
sect enemies — the  withering  heat  and  the  wanton 
winds !  Never  may  one  dream  of  success  through 
immunity  from  these  :  that  is  the  reward  of  never- 
tiring  watchfulness. 

But  it  maybe  suggested,  such  watchfulness  is  pain- 
ful. It  involves  anxiety,  care,  responsibility,  which 
we  a/e  taught  to  cast  upon  the  Lord.  Why  not,  since 
we  are  so  apt  to  become  unwatchful,  simply  hand  it 
all  entirely  over  to  the  Lord  ?  Because  we  have  no- 
where any  warrant  so  to  abusi  that  trust — bc-cause 
we  are  never  to  abandon  that  duty  which  He  has 
plainly  laid  upon  us.  We  may  and  must  abandon  all 
anxiety,  all  distrust — but  watcufubicss,  fievcr  !  The 
watchword  that  the  Lord  Jesus  gave  us  was  not 
"Abandon  yourselves,"  but  **  [L^vV// .'" 

This  combination  of  both  trusting  and  watching  is 
perfectly  simple.     The   Alpine   traveller  selects   his 


322  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

guide  with  care,  and  then  places  full  confidence  in 
him.  But  does  he  expect  his  guide  to  absolutely 
carry  him  ? — or  does  he  forthwith  become  reckless  ? 
Does  he  rush  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  or  whither 
he  will  ?  Does  he  not  understand  rather  that  his  own 
prudence  is  presupposed,  and  that  he  must,  under  the 
directions  of  his  guide,  use  his  foresight,  skill,  and 
strength,  to  their  full  limit  ?  And  yet  his  confidence 
is  solely  in  his  guide ;  and  because  he  watches  him, 
and  follows  him,  and  obeys  him  in  all  things,  he  can 
also,  trust  him. 

We  are  told  that  in  the  last  days,  perilous  times 
shall  come,  and  that  a  multitude  of  evils  will  then 
be  let  loose.  How  much  more  is  yet  to  come,  none 
of  us  can  tell ;  but  certainly  it  seems  the  character- 
istic of  our  own  time  that  all  the  various  enemies  that 
have  ever  attacked  the  Church,  are  now  combined 
against  it ;  so  that  while  we  watch  on  one  side  the 
openly  advancing  foe,  the  secret  snare  is  set  for  us 
upon  the  other.  Never,  surely,  was  there  such  a 
necessity  to  "  watch  in  all  things''  Every  new  treas- 
ure entrusted  to  our  keeping,  must  needs  draw  down 
the  thief  upon  us.  All  our  priceless  possessions  as 
the  Church  of  Christ,  expose  us  in  precise  proportion 
to  their  development,  to  the  rage  of  him  "  that  dash- 
eth  in  pieces."  Therefore  are  we  charged — "Keep 
the  munition!  Watch  the  way !  Fortify  thy  power 
mightily."  ^     Not  to  the  few,   not  to  the  most,  but 

♦  Nahum  ii.  i. 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  QF  JOSHUA.  323 

to  all  His  soldiers— every  one  of  them  in  a  post  of 
danger— does  the  Lord  Jesus  now  speak  from  heaven, 
*'  What  I  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  all,  Wat'ch  !" 

Watch,  then,  even  along  the  very  line  of  progress 
and  of  seeming  safety,  lest  ye  take  one  step  beyond  the 
safe  footing;  lest  you  carelessly  cross  that  light  line 
which  is  still  the  very  real  boundary  between  good 
and  evil. 

Watch,  lest  while  you  break  free  from  the  tram- 
mels of  mere  Tradition,  and  claim  that  freedom  of 
thought  which  is  your  rightful  heritage,  in  which 
every  man  is  to  be  ''fully  persuaded  in  his  own 
mind  " — watch,  lest  there  come  an  ovenveening  sense 
of  your  own  powe-ivand-scape^of  thought— lest  you 
fancy^ln  jsome  jy^in_jTioment,  that  by  searching  you 
can  find  out  God.  Watch,  lest,  like  that  anointed 
cherub,  set  by  God,  of  old,  upon  His  holy  mountain, 
thy  heart  also  be  lifted  up,  and  thy  beauty  be  cor- 
rupted by  reason  of  thy  brightness.  Watch,  lest  thou 
''  set  thy  heart  as  the  heart  of  God  !  "  * 

And  watch  also,  ye  whom  the  very  Spirit  of  God  is 
leading  on,  illuminating  your  vision — who  see  deeper 
than  all  forms  and  symbols,  and  yet  behold  them  as 
mediating  between  the  natural  and  the  spiritual  ; 
who  have  learned  what  channels  have  been  consti- 
tuted, through  which  the  all-powerful  Word  can  give 
and  your  lowly  faith  receive— Watch,  lest  that  which 
is  now  real,  become  ideal  only;  lest  Imagination 
*  See  Ezek.  xxviii.  1-19. 


324  ^-^-^  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING. 

usurp  the  place  of  the  Invisible  power  of  God,  and 
Sense  encroach  upon  the  realm  of  Spirit.  Watch, 
lest  your  high-way  of  spirituality  bend  little  by  little 
toward  that  which  is  beneath  ;  remember  that  even 
along  such  a  treacherous  track  as  this,  has  many  an 
unthinking  traveller  missed  his  mark  —  Therefore, 
Watch  ! 

And  you  who,  listening  to  the  voice  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  find  Him  teaching  as  man  never  taught,  beware 
lest  in  some  moment  when  your  ear  is  turned  the 
way  of  your  own  heart's  lust  —  a  stranger's  voice 
should  seem  to  you  the  voice  that  calls  you  onward ; 
and  your  fancies  and  your  fears  alike  combine  to 
cheat  you,  till  you  wander  far  from  the  Good  Shep- 
herd :  remember  that  this  very  road  is  white  with 
the  bones  of  those  who  have  fallen  upon  their  high 
places  : — Therefore,  Watch. 

And  you  who  have  come  to  account  Charity  as  great- 
er than  all  creeds,  who  see  everywhere  how  they  that 
love  and  fear  God  are  accepted  of  Him,  beware  lest 
you  lose  sight  of  Truth,  in  giving  place  to  her  poor 
counterpart — and  the  mere  convictions  of  Conscience, 
with  all  her  variable  voices,  come  to  claim  a  common 
credit.  Remember  that  Eternal  Truth  is  stable  as 
the  being  of  God  is  stable.  Remember  that  her  pure, 
white  light,  as  it  floweth  from  His  throne  forever,  is 
more  potent  by  far  than  any  of  the  brightest  of  those 
refracted  beams  that  work  their  Httle  wonders.  Re- 
member that  Truth  is  no  divisible  fund,  but  "  the  liv- 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OF  JOSHUA.  325 

ing  Child  "  which  no  sword  must  slay  ;  and  that  every 
fragment  which  you  forfeit,  is  so  much  loss  in  the 
completeness  of  your  own  life. 

And  you  also  who  have  learned  that  this  Truth  is, 
indeed,  the  chief  jewel  in  the  crown  laid  up  for  you 
— who  know  that  it  is  not  a  vain  thing  for  you,  but 
your  very  life,  to  be  embodied  in  you  as  it  was  in 
Him  who  said — "/  AM  the  Truth''  —  watch  in  your 
turn,  that  while  you  thus  hold  fast  to  all  that  is  im- 
movable, you  give  full  freedom  also  to  that  which 
ever  changes,  because  it  ever  lives.  Smother  her  nut 
in  a  close-fitting  shroud — stiffen  her  not  into  a  statue 
— and  settle  not  the  measure  of  a  growth  that  is  not 
reached.  Therefore,  watch  as  Wardens  of  the  Truth, 
that  while  you  guard  the  majestic  forest  oak,  and 
suffer  no  rude  hand  to  mar  that  strong  old  trunk  that 
has  stood  the  same  for  ages — that  still  you  let  it  year 
by  year  put  forth  its  new  and  living  verdure  as  it 
pleases. 

Watch,  ye  who  have  been  trained  in  holy  awe  of 
the  high  attributes  of  your  God,  and  have  stood  afar 
off  as  ye  worshipped,  lest  this  very  reverence  of  yours 
become  a  barrier,  to  stay  that  tide  of  love  with  which 
the  Lord  is  seeking  to  enrich  your  being — lest  ever, 
ye  lie  flat  upon  your  faces,  forgetful  of  that  blessed 
bosom  where  every  disciple  whom  Jesus  loves,  may 
lean  as  fearless  as  a  child.  Rut  watch,  ye  who  have 
learned  this  lesson,  and  remember  that  you  are  not 
to  be  less  reverent  because  more  loving ;  that  your 


326  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSING, 

freedom  is  to  be  no  forwardness.  Remember,  also, 
that  it  is  fitting  that  the  household  caress  should  be 
sheltered  under  the  home  shadow.  Sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  a  King,  it  is  your  sweet  privilege  to  forget  all 
state  in  a  Father's  fondness :  but  before  that  world 
that  knows  Him  only  as  its  Sovereign,  give  Him  the 
reverence  that  is  His  due.  Let  not  even  the  dear, 
familiar  names  by  which  He  would  have  you  call 
Him  when  alone  with  Him,  fall  so  freely  upon  the 
ears  of  others,  that  they  turn  away  to  misdeem  His 
dignity.     Therefore,  watch  ! 

Take  heed  that  when  the  Lord  Jesus  bids  you  "  go 
and  show  what  great  things  God  hath  done  to  you," 
that  at  once  you  go  your  way  and  publish  it :  but 
take  heed  also  that  when  He  charges  you,  as  He 
sometimes  will — ''  See  thou  tell  no  man,"  that  then 
you  only  keep  all  these  things,  and  ponder  them  in 
your  hearts. 

Watch,  ye  whom  the  Lord  has  brought  into  His 
good  Land  of  Promise,  and  given  it  to  you  to  pos- 
sess— watch,  lest  ever  you  come  to  rely  upon  a  past 
experience,  instead  of  His  continual  faithfulness. 

"  Be  sober,  be  vigilant ;  because  your  adversary  the 
Devil  as  a  roaring  lion,  walketh  about,  seeking  whom 
he  may  devour."  Resist  him  steadfast  in  the  faith. 
And  watch  him  all  the  more  when  he  transforms 
himself  into  an  angel  of  light.  Watch  his  open 
attacks  and  his  secret  entanglements.  Watch  that 
you  suffer  nothing  which  the  Spirit  of  God  condemns 


THE  LAST  CHARGE  OF  JOSHUA.  327 

to  linger  in  your  land— that  even  the  little  failures  of 
your  consecrated  lives,  prove  not  the  daily  vexing  of 
your  souls,  as  of  those  who  walk  among  thorns  and 
briers. 

Watch  all  along  the  line  of  His  Commandments — 
walking  in  love — walking  as  children  of  Light — walk- 
ing circumspectly — proving  what  is  acceptable  unto 
the  Lord.  Watch  that  ye  use  faithfully  every  gift  that 
He  has  given  you.  Take  heed  especially  that  you 
"  first  learn  to  show  piety  at  home."  Watch  that  as 
you  say  in  the  hearing  of  all  Israel,  "  As  for  me  and 
my  house  we  will  serve  the  Lord,"  so  you  be  willing 
to  write  upon  the  very  bridles  of  your  horses,* 
*'  Holiness  unto  the  Lord." 

Watch  all  along  the  line  of  His  Promises,  that  }'ou 
receive  all  that  He  so  freely  gives.  Day  by  day  let 
the  healing,  animating  beams  of  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness shine  down  upon  you.  Moment  by  moment 
take  that  breath  of  life  which  the  Lord  Jesus  breathed 
into  you  when  He  said — '^Receive ye  the  Holy  Ghosts 

Take  good  heed  that  ye  still  search  the  Scriptures 
daily.  Watch  the  ripening,  one  after  another,  of  the 
twelve  manner  of  fruits  that  are  borne  upon  its  blessed 
boughs — that  so  your  souls  at  each  new  period  of  life 
may  feed  upon  never-failing  freshness. 

And  watch  that  ye  still  come  continually  to  Him 
of  whom  these  Scriptures  testify,  that  ye  may  have 
life.     Feed   upon  Him  daily  as  your  true  Bread  of 

*  Zech.  xiv.  20,  marginal  reading. 


328  THE  FULNESS  OF  BLESSIXG. 

Life.  Let  your  holy  fellowship  with  Christ  be  (lose 
and  continual.  "  Watch  unto  prayer  " — "  praying 
always "  — "  praying  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  Take 
heed  above  all  things  that  ye  **  continue  in  His 
love."  Watch  most  of  all  this  Fountain-head  of  all 
the  issues  of  your  life.  Take  heed  that  evermore  this 
love  of  Christ  constrain  you.  So  in  a  perfect  love 
that  casteth  out  all  fear — in  trust  and  not  in  terror, 
shall  ye  sing  upon  your  Watch-tower,  ''The  Lord  is 
my  Keeper'' — "Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace^ 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee  because  he  trusteth  in 
Theer 

BLESSED   IS   HE  THAT  WATCHETH. 


PASSAGES  OF  SCRIPTURE, 

QUOTED  WITH  VARIATIONS  FROM   OUR  PRESENT 
VERSION. 

[These  variations  have  been  often  used  in  order  to 
bring  the  force  of  the  original  to  bear  as  fully  as  possible 
upon  the  subject  in  hand,  selecting  whatever  accessible 
rendering  appeared  best  to  effect  this,  and  sometimes  using 
a  slight  paraphrase.  The  words  employed  are  not  at  all 
suggested  as  in  all  cases  to  be  preferred.] 


Exodus,  xxxiii.  14 

.     .     .     221 

I  Corinthians,  x.  6 

6 

Numbers,  xxi.  3 

.     .     .     243 

xi.  26   . 

.     198 

Joshua,  i.  9    .     . 

.     .     .     100 

xi.  31,  32 

"        v.  II 

.     .     .     176 

260,26 

8,273 

"         v.  12 

.      176,  200 

xii.  4-1 1 

.     289 

"      v.  13,  14 

.     .     .     220 

2  Corinthians,  v.  7 

.     235 

Judges,  V.  15,  17 

.     .     .     293 

V.  14    . 

.      78 

Proverbs,  vi.  22 

.     .     279 

X.  4.  5  . 

.     250 

Isaiah,  xi.  3  .     . 

.     .     283 

Galatians,  ii.  20      .     . 

.      78 

"      Ixiii.  9     . 

.     .     221 

Ephesians,  vi.  11,  12,   24 

5.248 

Zechariah,  xiv.  20 

.     .     327 

Philippians,  i.  9       .     . 

284 

Matthew,  ix.  2,  22 

.     .     107 

"          iii.  12,  14 

263 

xi.  28 

.     .       30 

"          iii.  15  .     . 

263 

"        xiv.  27    . 

.     .     107 

iii.  21  .     . 

196 

"         xxviii.  20 

.     .     138 

Colossians,  ii.  12    .     . 

78 

John,  i.  51      .     . 

.     .     230 

Hebrews,  iv.  1 1      .     . 

142 

"    vi.  55     .     . 

.     .     193 

X.  10,  14      . 

256 

"    xvi.  13  .     . 

.     .        8 

X.  13.     .     .     . 

137 

Acts,  xiii.  18 

.    .       51 

2  Peter,  ii.  i 

316 

Romans,  xv.  29 

.     .       15 

iii.  12   ...     . 

139 

I  Corinthians,  iv.  4 

.    .     258 

I  John,  i.  1-3     ...     . 

225 

"            viii. 

2.3    .     278 

"       V.  21      .     .     .     - 

(329) 

316 

INDEX, 

Accursed,  same  word  as  devoted,  268. 

Achan,  Sin  of,  269. 

Achor,  Valley  of,  272. 

Achsah,  Request  of,  299. 

Aesthetics,  Spiritual,  284. 

Ai,  Defeat  at,  266. 

Aitken,  Rev.  R.,  Reference  to,  244. 

Alford,  Dean,  quoted,  2,  188,  193,  194,  248 

Allegorical  Teaching,  5. 

Amalek,  241. 

Angel  of  the  Face,  221. 

Apostles,  Authority  of,  152  ;  Twelve  ditto  Symbolism  of,  153. 

Apprehended  and  apprehending,  92. 

Arabia,  Associations  of,  21, 

Argyle's,  Duke  of,  Reign  of  Law  referred  to,  12. 

Ark,  Symbolism  of,  126. 

Assurance,  Want  of,  36. 

Augustine,  St.,  quoted,  30. 

Bahr,  reference  to  his  Symbolik,  153. 
Baptism  of  Christ,  Representative,  133. 
Bengel  quoted,  190,  191,  192,  197. 
Bernard,  Thos.  Dehaney,  quoted,  6,  152. 
Bickersteth  quoted,  297. 
Blameless,  not  faultless,  261. 
Blood  of  Christ,  189. 
Brown,  Jas.  Baldwin,  quoted,  15. 

Canaan,  War  in,  typical,  248. 
Calvin  quoted,  192. 

(530 


332 


INDEX, 


Canon,  Collection  of,  9. 

Captain,  Seeing  the,  220. 

Cherubim,  Symbolism  of,  129. 

Childlikeness  of  Spirit,  233. 

Christlieb  quoted,  90,  i86,  209,  291. 

Chrysostom  quoted,  191. 

Church,  Calling  of  the,  135  ;  Blessedness  of,  196. 

Church  History,  Records  of,  317. 

Circumcision,  Typical  meaning  of,  1 59. 

Committal  of  Faith,  114. 

Consecration,  107  ;  do.,  a  ready  recipiency,  108  ;  do.,  the  work 

of  Faith,  112,  113. 
Continuity  of  Life  of  Christ,  77-79,  195. 
Conybeare  and  Howson  quoted,  5,  51. 
Courage,  100. 
Crawford,  Dr.,  quoted,  25. 
Crosby,  Dr.,  quoted,  16. 

Darwin  quoted,  12. 

Death  of  Christ,  155,  183. 

Deborah,  Song  of,  293. 

Definiteness,  Lack  of,  in  teaching,  94. 

Delays,  none  on  God's  side,  no. 

Deuteronomy,  Teaching  of,  75. 

Devil,  The  existence  of,  245  ;  Usurpations  of,  246. 

Distrust,  Sin  of,  57. 

Egypt,  Symbolic  meaning  of,  241. 
Ewald  quoted,  66. 
Extraordinary,  Dangers  of  the,  210. 
Eye  of  the  Church  composite,  11. 

Faber  quoted,  248. 

Fables — two  illustrative,  40,  59. 

Fairbaim's  Typology  quoted,  2. 

Faith,  Only  direct  definition  of,  235  ;  Its  career,  265. 

Farrar's  Life  of  Christ  referred  to,  10 ;  quoted,  275. 


INDEX.  333 

Fay,  F.  R.,  quoted,  67. 

Feeling,  to  follow,  not  to  precede  Faith,  121. 

Fellowship  with  God,  297. 

Flesh,  The,  241. 

Freedom  not  to  be  forwardness,  326. 

Garden,  Need  of  caring  for,  320. 

Garments,  Babylonish,  269. 

Gibeonites,  Snare  of,  274. 

Gifts  of  the  Spirit,  288  ;  Given  in  perpetuity,  290  ;  Neglect  of,  290. 

Goulburn,  Dean,  quoted,  38. 

Guidance  of  the  Spirit,  276-284. 

Hall,  Bishop,  quoted,  24. 

Hallel,  The,  179. 

Hare,  Archdeacon,  quoted,  249. 

Hastening,  Importance  of,  140. 

Hebron,  Attractions  of,  295. 

Herbert,  George,  quoted,  86,  112. 

Holiness,  in  Greek,  the  same  as  Sanctification,  256. 

Incarnation,  Significance  of,  184. 
Inertia  of  spirit,  305. 
Israel,  Future  of,  287. 

"  Jesus  and  the  Coming  Glory  "  referred  to,  134. 

lericho,  The  Fortress,  240. 

Tordan,  Significance  of,  84-87  ;  Possessions  east  of,  292. 

Joseph,  Request  of  the  Tribe  of,  303. 

Jukes,  Andrew,  quoted,  3. 

Keble  quoted,  233. 

Keil  and  Delitzsch  quoted,  200,  252,  293. 

Kelly,  W.,  quoted,  86. 

Lange's  Com.  quoted,  100. 

Law  a  standard,  not  strength,  70 ;  Law  of    the  Spirit  of  life, 
74  ;  Breaking  of,  1 28. 


334  INDEX. 

Legality,  Struggles  of,  67-70. 
Levi,  reversal  of  his  curse,  309. 
Liberty  in  Christ,  213. 
"  Little  by  little,"  250. 
Love,  Power  of,  173,  298. 


-,  C.  H. — Notes  on  Numbers  quoted,  35. 


M- 

Macmillan,  Rev.  Hugh,  quoted,  5. 

Majorities  no  true  guide,  56. 

Manifestation,  Inward,  of  Christ,  225-232. 

Manna,  Symbolism  of,  200,  214. 

Manslayer,  Provision  for,  308. 

Materialism,  where  justly  charged,  182. 

Meditation,  Importance  of,  loi. 

Mercy-seat,  Symbolism  of,  128. 

Michaelis  quoted,  100. 

Ministers,  Responsibilities  of,  54. 

Miracles,  Chief  objects  of,  208. 

Misapprehension  of  God,  95. 

Moll,  Dr.,  quoted,  179. 

Molyneux,  Rev.  Capel,  referred  to,  288. 

Money,  Love  of,  270. 

Moses,  significance  of  his  death,  6^,  67, 

Myers,  Frederic,  quoted,  9. 

Naturalness,  Examples  of,  211. 
Nazarite,  Vow  of  the,  216. 
Neal's  History  of  the  Puritans  quoted,  306 
Neander  quoted,  136. 

Olshausen  quoted,  72,  188,  189. 

Passover  in  Egypt,  176  ;  Feast  of,  177-180. 
"  Patience  of  Hope,"  Author  of,  quoted,  218. 
Pedigree,  Declaring  our,  35. 
Preaching,  Frequent  character  of,  55 


INDEX.  335 

Presence  of  Christ  perceptible,  225-233. 
Promises,  Strength  of,  120. 

Red  Sea,  Sig^nificance  of,  84. 

Redemption,  Twofold  Scope  of,  20,  24. 

Refuge,  Cities  of,  308. 

Remembrance,  Duty  of,  143. 

Rest,  Promise  of  entering  into,  28-32. 

Resurrection  of  Christ,  185. 

Reticence  sometimes  commanded,  326. 

Reuben  and  his  cattle,  292. 

Revelation,  Unexplored  regions  of,  136,  305. 

Reverence  towards  God,  136,  325. 

Robinson,  Pastor,  Farewell  Address  of,  306. 

Sacramentarianism  referred  to,  182. 

Sanctification— an  impartation,  27  ;  by  faith,  37  ;  system  of  In 
stantaneous,  referred  to,  96,  259  ;  False  schemes  of,  249  ;  de 
fined  in  Scripture,  256  ;  specially  treated  of  in  Chap.  XII. 

Satan  not  to  b«  parleyed  with,  282. 

Scriptures,  Scepticism  respecting,  13  ;  Continual  study  of,  327. 

Self-denial,  Perversion  of,  165. 

Self-examination,  Erroneous  ways  of,  278^ 

Selfism,  162,  172. 

Senses,  Spiritual  training  of,  281. 

Separation  from  the  world,  170. 

Sin  as  defined  in  Scripture,  258. 

Sincerity  not  sufficient  without  Truth,  275. 

Smith's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible  quoted,  180. 

Spies,  Sending  of,  23  ;  Return  of,  45. 

Spiritualism  referred  to,  245. 

Springs,  Symbolism  of,  300. 

Standing  and  state  unlike,  53. 

Stanley,  Dean,  quoted,  116. 

Stephen  seeing  the  Lord  Jesus,  231. 

Stier,  Rudolph,  quoted,  103,  156,  189,  191,  198,  199. 

Stones  set  up  at  Gilgal,  146. 


336  INDEX. 

Suffering,  Call  to,  156. 
Supper,  The  Lord's,  197. 

Temptation,  how  differing  from  Sin,  259. 

Temple  representing  more  than  Tabernacle,  131. 

Trench,  Archbishop,  quoted,  311. 

Truth,  its  Stability,  324. 

Turning  points,  93. 

Types,  Varied  application  of,  10  ;  Details  of,  12. 

Vaughan,  C.  J.,  quoted,  31. 

Veil  to  be  taken  from  our  hearts,  17. 

Victory  designed  to  be  constant,  254 ;  already  won  for  us  by 

Christ,  264  ;  Securities  for,  34. 
Voice  of  the  Spirit  distinguishable,  281. 

Watchfulness,  Importance  of,  315. 

Westcott's  Introduction  quoted,  7. — Gospel  of  the  Resurrection 

quoted,  78. 
Whittier  quoted,  117. 
Wordsworth  quoted,  298. 
Wordsworth,  Bishop,  quoted,  137. 


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The  fulness  of  blessing  :  or,  The  Gospel 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00037  1874 


